


The beginning

by Heytherebluesky



Series: A race to save you. [1]
Category: Naruto, Shikaneji - Fandom
Genre: Blood and Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, Hyuuga Neji - Freeform, M/M, Nara Shikamaru-centric, Naruto Series, ShikaNeji - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-08-23 05:19:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 79,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16612661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heytherebluesky/pseuds/Heytherebluesky
Summary: After witnessing an unfortunate event, Shikamaru can't stop thinking about Neji. But he has only seen the tip of the icberg of what is to come.





	1. Chapter 1

**Shikamaru's POV**

The situation was delicate. Shikamaru was commanding a team whose objective was to investigate a suspected case of possible political corruption in the nearby town of Shikouza. It was one of the closest towns to Konoha. Only a few kilometers separated them. And although it was much smaller and quiet, it was believed that some of its leaders were having secret dialogues with enemy cities. At least that was Tsunade's justification when she ordered Shikamaru to gather a team and go out to see if that was indeed the case. The Nara summoned his most trusted shinobis, that is, those who had been his academy companions, and whom he knew would most probably do as he commanded without question. Being a very young captain, many older shinobis didn't feel comfortable taking orders from him.

His team was made up of his best friends Choji and Ino, he also included Sakura, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Naruto, Tenten and Neji. It was a lot of people for a mission of espionage, but Shikamaru needed all of them for the plan he had carefully plotted in his head. The suspects were numerous as well and they could save time by investigating them simultaneously. Knowing that the primary objective of the mission was not to be discovered, he had filled his backpack with protective gear and camouflage seals, which he himself had prepared, after learning about them in Konoha's library.

With Shikamaru's plan in place the team managed to collect a lot of useful information. He separated them into small groups and guided them through wireless microphones. This enabled them to identify several of the suspects. After a couple of observations confirmed the place and time the enemies were meeting that night Shikamaru gave the order to return to the clearing where they were camping to prepare the next step. He would have preferred them to settle inside the town where they could have continued making inquiries by talking to the villagers, but with so many team members, they would have attracted too much attention.

Shikamaru distributed personal seals that were placed on the chest among the members of his team. When activated, the chakra signature of those who wore them was diminished. He knew that there was a high probability that they had sensory ninjas distributed around the meeting place, so he needed to keep that covered.

Once prepared and each knowing their role, they left.

The meeting would take place in an old training center that was currently used as a bureaucratic building. It was assumed that was where the finances were carried out, and land was assigned to the citizens that work in the village. As a loan, of course, because the land always belonged to the feudal lord. Shikamaru didn't like politics at all, because he found them unfair and stupid. That was why he had rejected so many proposals of big landowners to join their team of consultants. But that was the world in which he lived so he had to endure it.

Shikamaru had found a map of the old place sniffing around in the village library. It would have been suspicious to start making a copy by hand in front of other users, but he didn't need to. Shikamaru's memory reached an incredible level of detail, so much that sometimes it was overwhelming. He needed only to look once at any graphic or text to remember it exactly. In fact, he considered that probably 85% of his intelligence came from his eidetic memory. Most people didn't know about this ability though, and he preferred it that way. People tended to uplift some mechanisms of his mind too much, and he didn't like it at all.

They entered the compound through a crack in the ground dug by Kiba. Akamaru needed to stay and wait in the forest since his scent could have given them away. Once inside, they found themselves, as Shikamaru predicted, in an old gutter through which waterways used to flow. Now the rivers had been diverted, and the distribution of water was through another circuit. But this had left a very useful tunnel that surrounded much of the halls of the old construction.

The team began to walk, trusting the eyes of the two Byakugan users to know where there were people. When they found someone, they stopped and put small amplifying microphones on the walls that transmitted to the microphones in their ears. The sound quality wasn't great and there was a lot of interference, but they could hear most of the dialogue.

Shikamaru was concentrating on analyzing the conversation of two sullen adult men when a muffled expression of surprise came from behind him. He turned to see who had made the sound.

Hinata was staring at a point behind the wall with wide eyes and an expression of surprise.

He approached her and questioned her by moving his lips as if he were talking, but not doing so. -What?-, he modulated.

Hinata used the lowest voice her body allowed her to emit.

"A member of my clan has just arrived."

He certainly didn't expect that. At first Shikamaru thought she was confused, but a quick glance at the other Hyuga confirmed. Neji was glaring at the same place his cousin was looking, visibly clenching his fists at his side.

"Who?" Shikamaru asked again without sound.

"His name is Hisao, he's a very important Main House member," Hinata whispered.

This was weird. Really weird. Not only because he was from Konoha. He was someone from one of the oldest and most prestigious clans in the city. That a Hyūga was involved in a case of corruption could be complicated. Even if there was evidence against him they had so much power in the village that it would be extremely difficult to thoroughly investigate one of them. Shikamaru decided not to draw conclusions in advance. But that wasn't the only reason why the Hyūga's presence in that place didn't please him. Luckily, he had taken the precaution of decreasing their chakra emissions, but if the man decided for some reason to activate his Byakugan they were lost. This put them in an extremely vulnerable position. He shook the thoughts off and concentrated on the conversation that had just begun.

"Very punctual, Hisao. Did you bring the documents?"

Shikamaru listened as someone waved a bunch of papers.

"Of course, I have them. Can we start now?"

" The ambassador has not yet arrived, but let's move to a more comfortable place to wait for him ."

Ambassador? This meeting was filling up with interesting characters. Shikamaru didn't know what the guy would be ambassador of, but what he had no doubt was that a person with that type of position should not frequent secret suspicious meetings.

"They're moving," Neji whispered, beginning to walk slowly, following the men. The rest of the team moved with him, following the same path as the suspects.

After about 50 meters, the Hyuga cousins stopped.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asked Neji.

"They entered a room and have sat down. They appear to be waiting."

In the gloom of the tunnel, illuminated only by a lantern light held by Tenten, Shikamaru could see the features of the Hyūga boy. His frown was still puckered, and there was a certain air of threat in his stare which remained nailed to the wall. The Nara had no doubt that his eyes were fixed on the other Hyūga. His face was calm, however, demonstrating Neji's ability to control his emotions.

Shikamaru lowered his head to listen more intently to the shallow, halting conversation that the men on the other side of the wall were holding while they waited. As he did so, he caught sight of Neji's tight, clenched fists in the shadows. He evidently hated the guy.

Suddenly they heard a door opening, and someone else entered the room. Shikamaru moved closer to the wall and narrowed his eyes to concentrate on the conversation that was finally beginning. As far as he could tell from the words, it was the ambassador, although they had not yet clarified who he represented. Apparently, the man in question had managed to remove some important documents about the distribution of land in the province, and had the intention of replacing them with an altered version, to be able to introduce changes in the distribution. Apparently, Hisao's role had been to use his Byakugan to identify a random document in Konoha that possessed the signature of the feudal lord, and to steal it in order to copy the personal mark. In addition, he managed to get someone to create a false stamp identical to the one on the paper. Thus, allowing them to falsify official documents. 

The situation was undoubtedly shady. From the coming and going of the talk, Shikamaru understood that the objective of the operation was to allocate more land to some villages considered allies under surveillance due to previous situations where they showed their disloyalty to the union of districts to which Konoha belonged. In exchange for this modification behind the fief back, the Ambassador and the Hyuga involved would receive financial incentives. Shikamaru considered the situation for a moment. It was probably an individual action from Hisao, since he had no evidence that the rest of his clan was involved. That was good, but it was still very likely that his family would use their influence to shield him from any consequences. No doubt going back to Konoha with this information would end up being very troublesome for him.

Shikamaru concluded that they had sufficient data, and that staying in the area would only increase the chances of being discovered by Hisao. He gestured to his team to have the microphones removed and turned off, and to go back the way they had come. Neji took a few seconds to follow them. He seemed to be trying to kill his superior with his eyes, but finally gave up and walked back to the group.

When they reached the clearing where they had camped, the debate began.

"Well, it looks like we have them!" Naruto spoke with confidence.

"Not so fast. We have no actual evidence of anything." Shikamaru replied.

"What? We just heard all their plan!"

"So what? Recording them was impossible because of the interference. Even if we go back to Konoha and relay all this to the Hokage, she will need us to confirm it in some way."

"That's ridiculous. She trusts our word."

"It's not a matter of trust, Naruto. It is a matter of procedure. In front of the council, no testimony is unbeatable if it can't be proven."

"But we know what we saw, right?" Tenten interjected. "We know the truth, we just have to find a way to prove it."

"Of course!" Kiba added. "Let's go back to Konoha and accuse that idiot Hyūga. It'll be easy to show that he is involved."

"Do not count on it." It was the voice of Neji, who came calm as always, but a little dry and resentful.

"And why not, your highness? It's very simple. We just follow him around a little 'till he does something incriminatory." Kiba replied with a mocking tone.

"You do not know the Hyuga clan. They will do the impossible to protect any member of the Main House. It does not matter how dirty the accusation is. Hisao is among the cruelest of them, and he aspires to be named to the central Hyūga council. They have covered him before, and they will do it again"

"But this doesn't make sense. If we get evidence, regardless of how powerful they are they can't prevent us from exposing them, right?" Ino said.

"I'm sorry, but I do not think any of you really understand what levels the influence of the Hyūga clan reaches."

Shikamaru did. He sure as hell did. He had read several books in the library about the formation of the city, and about the arrival of the first allied clans. The Hyuga were among the first, and in their eagerness to protect their prized ocular jutsu, they had committed many atrocities. One of the worst being the creation of the secondary branch and the cursed seal which, in Shikamaru's opinion, was one of the most twisted things he had ever heard about in his life.

While the discussion continued, Shikamaru stood in silence, his gaze fixed on an invisible point, analyzing the information he had. He would cling to the idea that these acts were the individual will of Hisao. He had no concrete indications to confirm any more of the clan was involved, and the scenario that this would imply would be much more troublesome. On the way back, he would ask Neji and Hinata if they thought Hiashi was aware of the situation. If they said no, he would inform the Hokage of the events and propose that he be summoned to a private meeting to discuss it with him. If Tsunade-sama didn't order him to investigate further, she would take the matter into her hands and the problem would be over for him.

"What should we do, Shikamaru?" Choji's reassuring and appeasing voice came between the discussion. Everyone was silent and looked at him Waiting for his guidance.

He opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by Neji.

"Stop. Someone is approaching."

"What?!" Sakura asked.

"I feel multiple chakra signatures approaching us." He said this while activating his Byakugan. Seconds later his already light skin got even more paler.

"It's Hisao and two other men. One was in the meeting, the other has his face covered by a hood."

"They are going to pass directly in front of us." Hinata had activated her Kekkei Genkai too.

"How far are they?" Shikamaru asked as his mind jumped into action.

"About seventy meters." Neji answered.

"If we try to run away now they can hear us. And if we stay, they will see us." Ino panicked.

It was true. The vegetation was not very thick in the area, and there were too many of them. They still had the seals that decreased their chakra emissions, but that wouldn't work if the enemy saw them directly.

Shikamaru took out his backpack, opened it and pulled out a roll of paper, a brush and an ink jar. He walked a few steps and place the roll on the ground unwrapping about 90 centimeters. He hastened to write some words with the brush, and when he finished he put his hands together and spoke a few words.

The air around them seemed to tremble as if it were a gelatinous mass.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto asked.

"It will keep us invisible in a range of 4 meters for 20 minutes, as long as no one crosses the seal. So stay behind it and keep silent until they pass."

But they didn't pass. They reached the clearing where the group was concentrated at one end, and they stopped.

"Let's stop here for a moment." Hisao said.

They didn't seem to have noticed their presence. A space of approximately three meters separated them. They could see and hear them perfectly. If everything went well, they would leave in less than 20 minutes without discovering them. Maybe they would even get a little more information. But they could not make any sound.

"Why have you brought this kid, Hisao?" asked the man who was at the meeting.

"I needed help to bring the money. You know that an operation like this presupposes convincing many supervisors. And a lot of money means a lot of weight."

"So it cost you a lot of money?

"It's an investment. In short time it will return multiplied."

Both men smiled with satisfaction.

"And why did we stop to rest? You aren't carrying anything now."

Hisao laughed at the thought that he might be tired.

"We are not going to rest. Come here, boy."

He gestured to the hooded person to come closer. The figure hesitated long before taking the first fearful steps towards the man.

"Make haste! We don't have all day."

When the stranger reached him, Hisao pulled out his hood, revealing the terrified face of another Hyūga. He couldn't have been more than 20 years old.

Shikamaru turned his face slightly to look at Neji and Hinata. By their expressions they seemed to know him. They both watched the scene with their eyes wide open.

"Take off your Hitai-ate."

"Master, please. I will not say anything."

"Come on, Hiro, let's not make a scene."

"No, sir, I beg of you! I will not tell it. I swear." The young man began to cry. He started to tremble as if the temperature had turned polar.

A chill ran down Shikamaru's spine and his stomach contracted. That boy surely had the cursed seal. And Hisao was going to use it to kill him.

Some of his teammates had not arrived at this conclusion, but Shikamaru's mind was already analyzing his possibilities. If they tried to save the boy, they would have to face the two men. They could probably win, but if this guy was willing to kill a Branch House member, nothing would stop him from trying to kill Neji too. And since the weapon to do it was graven directly on the boy's forehead, the chances of the older Hyūga activating it were too high. They let one person die, or two probably would.

Hisao had taken off the young man's Hitai-tie and thrown it unceremoniously aside. Then he put one of his hands on the kid's forehead.

"Shhh," he whispered. "You did well."

"No, please, don't!" Hiro cried inconsolably. Shikamaru didn't ask himself why he wasn't running, because he knew that many seals could be activated at certain distances. The boy knew he had no chance against the seal inscribed on his forehead.

The Nara noticed a movement to his left, and saw the startled face of Naruto, who had just understood the situation, and Shikamaru knew that he would try to intervene. He couldn't allow it, he couldn't put Neji's life in danger too.

With no need to use his hands, he extended two shadows tentacles and grabbed Naruto before he could move. The blond boy was about to throw an insult to him, but when he looked at Shikamaru to do so, the Nara shook his head vehemently and pointed at Neji, who was a few steps behind him. When Naruto looked at him, he seemed to understand. He relaxed his body and closed his eyes, still unable to believe that they were going to let an innocent man die. But he would have felt worse if he had to bear the guilt over the death of a friend.

A cry of panic caught Shikamaru's attention, and he turned his head to the scene in front of them. Hisao had begun to utter the words that would activate the cursed seal.

Shikamaru turned his face again, this time to look at Neji. What he saw filled him with grief, and at the same, it time put him on alert. The young Hyuga's eyes were fixed on Hiro's forehead, more open than ever. He was shaking from head to toe, already totally unaware that his teammates could see him. There was no way someone could hide a fear like the one he would be feeling at this moment.

When the cries of pain began to fill the clearing, Neji closed his eyes and lowered his head. His fists were clenched on the sides of his body. Shikamaru could still see his face, and it looked like he was about to scream too.

He had to do something or Neji would reveal them, digging his own grave. He started walking towards the boy, as slow as he could to make no sound on the grass. He stopped right in front of Neji, covering his vision. He placed himself only a few centimeters away.

Neji slowly raised his head and looked at him, perhaps hoping he would offer some solution. Shikamaru didn't have one, but he had to try so that despite the terrible situation, Neji wouldn't lose sense of where they were and understand that he had to keep silent.

The Nara raised a hand and placed his index finger on his lips. Neji nodded, but when a new round of screaming broke the silence of the forest, tears began to flow from his eyes, and he seemed about to sob. Shikamaru quickly turned his hand and covered Neji's mouth with his palm. But the poor boy still seemed about to collapse.

Around them, their friends looked at each other with anguish and impotence. No one was watching the scene anymore, it was too strong. Hinata started crying silently and covered her ears. Many of them closed their eyes. They couldn't not hear, but least they weren't going to watch.

Shikamaru felt Neji shaking violently, and put his other hand on his back to bring them closer together. He placed his lips over the boy's ear and whispered:

"Shhh…"

He felt Neji's tears wetting the palm of his hand. Never in his life had he seen him cry. In fact, he was sure that none of those present had. And it was quite disturbing.

A longer, heartbreaking scream erupted, and Neji's fingers dug into the sides of Shikamaru's thighs. The Nara clenched his teeth to contain the sudden pain. Now he would also have to worry about not shouting himself. Hoping it would cushion the sound a little, Shikamaru turned Neji's head to placed one of his ears against his chest, while still covering his mouth. With the other hand he covered his other ear.

Neji dug his fingers deeper and pressed hard against Shikamaru's chest. He was probably thinking that this young man, who was dying ahead of him, could easily be him. And that probably made him feel like he was.

The screams ceased slowly. Shikamaru turned his head a little to see. He saw Hiro's body lying on the ground with a hole in his empty head, spread over a pool of blood. Shikamaru knew how the cursed seal worked. To protect the Byakugan, the seal not only melted the eyes, but also most of the brain so that its remains could not be studied.

"Ok, let's go." Hisao said when finishing his task.

"Won't you have problems if we leave the body here?"

"Nobody will recognize it. It's another of the advantages of the seal. Not only does it protect the Byakugan, it also prevents the corpse from being identified with the naked eye. Besides, today it will rain and this whole area will flood, as it always does. The water will take the body and no one will never find it. Trust me."

Hearing him speak like that about the cursed seal, as if it were the best invention of mankind instead of an unjust and sadistic weapon, made Shikamaru's blood boil in his veins. On his chest, Neji still shivered and held back his crying as much as he could.

After Hisao changed his coat for another one, since the one he was wearing had been spattered with blood, the two men left. When he was sure they had gotten far enough away, Shikamaru pulled his hands from Neji's head and placed them immediately on the fingers digging into his thighs. He separated the Hyūga's hands from his legs and held them for a moment, stepping back a little to see his face. His eyes were still closed and he was crying silently.

"Oh, Kami. That was horrible." Sakura exclaimed, drying the tears she had also shed.

As soon as those words broke the silence, Neji fell to his knees on the grass. He closed his fists tightly on the lawn and lowered his head, breathing hard. Obviously still quite shaken.

"Neji!" Tenten shouted, as she ran to his side. She put an arm around him and tried to comfort him.

Hinata approached them and knelt too, crying with her hands joined.

Shikamaru turned once more and looked at the body again. There were different things on his mind: a feeling of hatred for the older Hyuga, frustration for not being able to intervene, a heartbreaking guilt for letting the boy die, uncertainty about how to handle things next. And the salty smell of Neji's tears on his hand.

 

 

**Well, this is my first Fic. Sorry if it's not very well written. English is not my first language.  I accept any correction! You will also see that I use the metric system, I hope it's not too confusing. I already wrote 13 chapters of this Story. If you like the first one, I will happily upload the others.**

**All the characters belong to the Naruto series.**

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**I'm reposting this chapter thanks to the great help of a kind reader who offered to smooth my english from its many mistakes to make reading more pleasant for all of you! Thanks to the incredible collaboration of MirandaZ**


	2. Chapter 2

**Shikamaru’s POV**

All of them agreed to wait for Neji to calm down before they returned to the village. While Tenten and Hinata comforted him the others argued: about what Tsunade would say, about how that was inadmissible, about how the man had to pay.

 

Shikamaru remained silent. He had seen a reference in several official minutes to a decree specifying that each clan could maintain its own internal policy, and neither the council nor the Hokage could intervene. But he couldn't draw more conclusions about what course that subject would take until he spoke with Tsunade-sama. At that moment his mind fluttered over another thought: Hisao had used a member of the branch house only to help him move a load, and once the process was finished, to avoid betrayal, he had killed him. He had used the boy as a cargo mule, and then dismissed him without further thought. He understood that the young man wore that hood so as to not be recognized when he left the village with Hisao. But no doubt someone should notice his absence. Would nobody complain about his disappearance?

 

Shikamaru could have shouted in rage. He hated abuse of power, in all its forms. Oppressing others just because your position in the stupid hierarchy of life, which was totally arbitrary, allowed you to, didn't fit in his head.

Suddenly the movement around him brought him out of his thoughts. Neji had stood up, almost completely recovered. It was time to move out. But when the Hyuga turned and saw Hiro's body he fell to his knees vomiting. He started coughing uncontrollably, helped again by Tenten and his cousin.

 

Shikamaru gave the order to wait 5 more minutes. Neji was quite proud and never showed weakness. To get to the point of being in this state in front of so many people, he obviously couldn't help how what they had witnessed was affecting him. When the Hyūga was finally able to stand up they began to walk. The others continued commenting on what happened, and on several occasions joked to lighten the mood. But Neji didn't say a word then entire trip back. Neither did Shikamaru.

 

Once in Konoha, everyone took the road home. Except for Shikamaru, who went straight to the Hokage's office. The report contained extremely important information, he couldn't leave it for tomorrow.

 

It was already evening and a storm was approaching. Shikamaru remembered Hisao's words, he boasted that the rain would take away the body. Rage surged through his body. The screaming of the dying Hyūga replayed over and over in his mind. He shook it away with a shake of his head. He increased his pace to reach his destination as soon as possible and call it at night. He needed to stop thinking. He needed to sleep.

 

He stopped at the Hokage's office door and knocked. He was ordered to wait a moment. Unconsciously, he put a hand to his face to scrub it and remembered it was the hand with which he had covered Neji's mouth a few hours ago. He closed his eyes for a moment, covering his lips with his palm as he had done with the Hyūga and took a deep breath.

 

A small voice whispered very low in his head something like "What the hell are you doing?". He didn't have to answer because the sound of the sliding door brought him back to reality.

Once inside and in Shizune's presence, Shikamaru gave the Hokage the details of what happened. She listened to him carefully. After thinking for a few moments, she told Shikamaru that she would begin by summoning Hiashi to meet and discuss the information with her and the council. Only after that could she make a decision about further action. "You brought important but troubling information and did well. Now rest, I'll take care of this."

 

Shikamaru was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "What will happen to the Hyūga's body?"

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, always watching him.

 

"That will be even more difficult than investigating the case of document corruption. I'll pose it to Hiashi and the council too. But…" she paused, "I have no power over Branch House members."

 

"How is that?" Shikamaru asked, looking bored and very tired. "They're citizens of Konoha, like me or anyone else."

 

"It's exactly the opposite of that. They are not like everybody else. That seal they have on their foreheads means they belong to someone. And that someone is the Main House."

 

Shikamaru pondered these words. "Do you mean they're like the Main Houses property?"

 

"Essentially, yes. And neither the Hokage nor the council are allowed to interfere in a clans's politics."

 

Shikamaru went blank for a minute, so the Hokage continued. "I will do my best to have justice for him. I'm sorry you all had to witness that. It must have been horrifying. If you see Neji, please make sure he is okay. We will as well."

 

Moments later, Shikamaru left the office and entered the humid air of the storm. The first drops began to fall, and the wind whipped them against his clothes. He took the central path towards the Nara forest and walked quickly, without changing his speed all the way to the edge of the tree line. He couldn't concentrate on one thought at a time. His mind seemed to be going in a million directions all at once. It was very macabre to know that there was a dead boy a few kilometers away that was going to be dragged down the river that night. At the same time, his ironic mind noted that both hierarchical institutions, the ancient and powerful clan of the Hyūgas, and the system of government that ruled them all, were equally corruptible. Only the first ones were more bloodthirsty. And finally, there was the image that passed before his eyes again and again: Neji's huge eyes, wide open and overflowing with tears, staring at him, imploring him to stop what was happening.

 

Sleeping would help. He just needed to get to his house. But when he reached the access he intended to use to enter the forest, he found that there was a figure standing in the rain. It was dark, but as he came closer he could make out the long brown hair. Shikamaru stopped a few meters away and didn't say a word. He just waited, holding his characteristic indecipherable look.

 

"Nara." Neji said.

 

"Hyūga. Were you waiting for me?" It took Neji a few seconds to respond.

 

"I wanted to inquire as to what the Hokage said about Hisao." Shikamaru remembered the hatred with which Neji had looked at the older Hyūga before Hiro even appeared.

 

"She's going to summon your uncle." He answered honestly. He paused and then asked, "Do you think Hiashi is aware of the situation?"

 

"Absolutely not. Hiashi would never engage in an act of corruption." There was no doubt in Neji's statement. Shikamaru decided to believe him.

 

"Will no one in the clan ask about Hiro?"

 

Neji made a sound of doubt. "The other branch members will notice. I will inform those I can. Hiro had neither father nor mother. Not even siblings. It will pass as one more of the clan's usual deaths."

 

Shikamaru analyzed Neji's words. "Do you think it was a coincidence that Hisao used a branch member who didn't have a family? Maybe that made things easier"

 

"I understand that you would think that, but most Branch House members do not have a family. It is quite common." Neji looked at the path that led to the Hyuga residences. It was in an elevated part of the city, on the opposite side from the Nara forest.

 

"How is that?" It didn't seem normal to Shikamaru that most of the Branch House members were orphans.

 

"Well, most Branch House members are children of other Branch House members who were forced to marry to produce offspring. We all have a fairly low life expectancy. Due to the demands of the Main House, most of us do not live more than 40 years."

 

Shikamaru was stunned. The rain continued to fall on them now in a soft but steady flow. "So there are no Branch House members older than middle age?"

 

"Not many. When the Main House orders it, we must give our lives. My father died before his 39th birthday." There were a few seconds of silence. Shikamaru hadn't expected Neji to mention his father. Not to mention the fact that he could not finish processing what he was hearing.

 

Did all that mean that Neji would be lucky if he lived to be 40 years old? "And what about your mother? Was she a Branch House member too?" He questioned, without stopping too long to think about it.

 

Neji didn't answer right away, and Shikamaru immediately regretted asking. "No, she belonged to another clan. She died when I was 4 years old from illness. In my case it was just a coincidence."

 

The Nara didn't know what else to say so he said nothing. Neji remained a few more moments watching the road. Finally, he turned his face to Shikamaru, but he didn't look up and said, "anyway, thank you for keeping me from shouting today. I don't want to imagine what would've happened if Hisao had discovered us." He hesitated a bit before continuing, and Shikamaru could sense that he was trying to keep his voice calm. Obviously it still unsettled him to think about what had happened. It was understandable, only a few hours had passed, and Shikamaru's own stomach was still churning. Although not as much as his thoughts. Neji finally spoke again.  "I almost lost it."

 

"Yeah…" Shikamaru took a step forward, with his eyes fixed on Neji, who watched the rain create furrows in the earth. "Me too... It was truly awful. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

 

"It wasn't your fault," the Hyūga answered.

 

"I know, but I'm still sorry."

 

Neji didn't raise his eyes from the water threads that ran under his feet. Shikamaru wanted to look directly at those huge, clear pupils, and see a sea of tranquility. But it was doubtful that would  happen. The rain sank into Neji's drenched hair, and fell down his neck and face which shone slightly in the darkness. He was stoic. Shikamaru didn't dare touch him to wake him up, and he didn't know what to say to get his attention either. Then the trembling voice of the afflicted Hyuga came to him almost inaudible, but very clear.

"This rain... will drag him away. And someday… it will drag me too" Neji shuddered suddenly and seemed to forget where he was again, as it had happened hours before. Shikamaru reacted automatically. He crossed the distance between them and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

 

"Neji, look at me." Neji just shivered. Shikamaru tried to use the sweetest and most reassuring voice that his body could emit. "Neji, come on, it's all right. Just look at me." He took so long that Shikamaru was about to repeat his request, but finally Neji raised his head very slowly and opened his eyes just a little. There were no tears in them, but there was a sense of desolation that made Shikamaru's breath freeze in his chest. The storm in those eyes was even worse than the one that flooded the night. Shikamaru had to find the words that could calm that tempest, if such words existed. "That's not gonna happen to you."

 

Neji held his gaze for a long minute, during which Shikamaru unconsciously let himself loose in those nebulous lavender eyes. But the moment was interrupted when a shudder shook the Hyuga and made him close his eyes again. He must be exhausted. Mentally and physically. Shikamaru knew he was. "C'mon. Let's get you out of the rain." The Nara gently pushed the boy's shoulder to direct him into the forest, and set out to guide him through the trees. Neji kept his head down, and surprisingly let himself be guided.

 

"What is the purpose?" He asked. "We're already soaked anyway."

 

"Yeah." Shikamaru replied. "But I can't smoke in the rain." Neji exhaled in amusement, but didn't answer.

 

They stopped when they reached a small building that seemed to be abandoned. In fact, it kind of was. There were many of these small cabins distributed in the Nara forest. They were used to store medicines and tools to assist the deer. But this one in particular had been damaged in a storm, leaving a few holes in the ceiling. No one had repaired it because there were many others, and everyone was too lazy to do it if it wasn't indispensable. But repairing a cabin was easy when you were best friends with an Akimichi, so it only took a few instructions from him for his friend to cover all the holes without effort. Shikamaru used the place to keep all the things he preferred not to have in his house. He opened the door, and held it so that Neji could pass. The Hyūga took a few steps inside and looked around. He still trembled slightly.

 

"Excuse me if it is not very luxurious," Shikamaru said, to lighten the mood. "At least it's dry ... Or most of it is."

 

Neji was about to sit on a small cushion on the floor, but seemed to stop when he noticed he was going to get everything wet. "Don't worry. There's no problem if it gets wet." The Nara stated. "Although maybe we shouldn't stay in these soaked clothes." Shikamaru said that thinking that trying to dry while staying wet was a cycle that would never end. But he didn't expect Neji to nod and immediately peel off his white shirt. Underneath it he had a tank top, also white, through which Shikamaru could see the bandages he always wore on his stomach and arms.

 

The Nara was grateful that Neji had his back to him, because his jaw had fallen in surprise. He turned quickly, and to maintain the naturalness of the situation he proceeded to take off his own clothes while Neji took off his shoes and socks sitting behind him. He lowered the zipper of his green reglementary vest and left it on the floor. Then he peeled off his black sweater and left it in the same place, keeping only his mesh shirt from the Nara clan. Then, swinging on one leg and then on the other, he pulled off his sandals. He really hoped that Neji hadn't taken off his pants, because he didn't want to be obliged to do it too. Fortunately, when he turned around, the Hyūga still had them on, and he was just wringing out his thick hair.

 

Shikamaru walked to some boxes that were stacked in a corner and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of one of them. Then he leaned back against the wall perpendicular to the one Neji was facing, and dropped to the ground. He lit a cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly.

 

Neji broke the silence a few minutes later. "You didn't need to bring me here. I could have gone home.

 

"You didn't seem very eager to go home." Shikamaru answered honestly.

 

"I was not... Thank you."

 

Shikamaru lazily exhaled another puff of his cigarette. "Don't mention it."

 

**Neji's POV**

 

Neji watched Shikamaru in the light of the storm. It had been about 30 minutes since they stopped talking and he seemed to be asleep. He had one leg stretched out on the floor and the other bent where he was pinning one of his elbows, and his head was reclined on the wall slightly sideways. Neji had heard that the lazy ninja could sleep standing up and he believed it. He remembered that he was always asleep during Academy classes. Even in the exams. In fact, he had no idea how the guy had passed every year. Teachers always scolded him for sleeping and lazing around.

 

They had never been close. Actually, they had exchanged more words in missions than in daily life. But the truth was that Neji wasn't close to anyone other than his cousin and the members of his team. Even with them he maintained a certain distance. Besides, he knew that most people thought he was arrogant and egocentric and he preferred to keep it that way so that nobody wanted to know him more thoroughly.

But Shikamaru had asked him a few very specific questions about the Branch House which made Neji wonder why he was so interested. He was probably just trying to be kind and compassionate since Neji had been affected so much by what happened to Hiro. It had been humiliating to have cried and lost control in front of the whole team as he had, and he did not intend for Shikamaru to see him that torn again. But he needed to ask about Hisao before returning home. He knew it was unrealistic to hope that the council would penalize him, but he could not help but wish they would. Hiro deserved justice.

Shikamaru moved a little in his sleep. Neji noticed how his still wet black trousers clung to some parts of his legs, the same as his mesh shirt, which was tightly stuck to his chest and abdomen. His arms were outlined under those transparent sleeves. Neji remembered that Ino had always mocked Shikamaru for being weak compared to his companions. Not only because of his limited amount of chakra and his low stamina, but also because in school he had always been quite scrawny and languid. But it seemed that his body had filled out. He had grown noticeably, he was even several inches taller than Neji. Although he was not super muscular because he hated to exercise, his long arms and shaped chest gave Neji the impression that he was in a really good shape. Neji realized what he was thinking and that his eyes were fixed on everything the Nara's mesh shirt showed. _So what if his body has changed, or if he is in good shape?_ He told himself. _That does not interest me. I must be really exhausted to be having these thoughts. I need to_ rest. But before looking away from Shikamaru he remembered how the boy had pressed him against his chest to cushion Hiro's screams of pain. Neji thought that without that simple gesture that served to put some distance between the sounds and his mind, he might have collapsed. The vague smell of cigarettes he perceived in the young man's clothes came to him. Similar to the one he felt now in the cabin. For the first time, Neji didn't dislike the smell of tobacco. He shook his head to remove those thoughts from his mind and try to rest a least a little.

 

When Shikamaru woke up his whole body hurt. It was that familiar feeling of having slept in a terrible position, and the pleasant seconds that came before he remembered why he had done it. He opened his eyes groaning. The morning light illuminated the cabin. Then the memory of the previous night returned to him. But when he turned to where Neji's had been, he saw that he was already gone. He would probably have returned home before the sun came up.

He remained quiet for a few moments. While reviewing the events of the previous day and he felt the phantom sensation of Neji's trembling body against his chest.

  


 

**Thank you for continuing reading my fic! I will upload the 13 chapters I have already written. I'm working on the 14, and I will post it too as soon as I finish it. I really hope you enjoy this story!!!**

 

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**This chapter has been reissued with the corrections and the edition of MirandaZ.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shikamaru's POV**

 

The rest of the week went by without much relevance. Shikamaru had to deliver papers, sign documents and was commissioned to design several strategies for espionage missions. 

 

For the first time in his life he didn't complain about having work to do. It helped distract his mind from recent events. He was constantly thinking about the Hyūga clan, about the uselessness of the village's rulers to solve real injustices, but above all, about Neji.

 

It was strange. He had never spent so many hours of his life thinking about the same person. It had been almost 7 days, and those lilac eyes had returned uncontrollably to his memory at least once every hour during that time. Although if he was honest, they had also appeared in his dreams. Sleeping had become a difficult task since the return from Shikouza.

 

They had crossed paths only a couple of times, always in the company of their teammates and sometimes other friends. They had only exchanged brief glances. Shikamaru knew that Nejis pride was important to him, and decided not to comment on the night they spent in the cabin. He acted like nothing was different, just like the other did. They still had no news of how Hisao's case would continue, but Shikamaru knew there was no point in asking Tsunade-sama. He had already asked, and she had told him she was working on it. Translation:  _ take care of your own business, it's above your pay grade, and don't ask again.  _

 

During the last week Shikamaru had spent several hours in the library looking for more information about the Hyūga clan. Unfortunately there was not much more the books could tell him. Not only because he had already read practically all of them, but because most related political facts about the formation of Konoha, such as the drafting of agreements and treaties between clans and countries was not in the library. He knew where he could find more interesting information, but accessing it was troublesome.

 

He had also used the library as a refuge to escape from Ino, who insisted over and over that the reason he was so distracted lately was because he was thinking about Temari. She couldn't have been more wrong.

  
  


**Neji's POV**

 

The last week had not been pleasant for him. First, Neji had had to communicate to the other branch members about Hiro's fate. Many of them were close to the boy, and were quite upset. But as he expected, they accepted the situation and continued with their normal day to day life. His team, on the other hand? He had to endure their compassionate and worried looks everyday during training. He appreciated their concern, but he had no use for it. Or their pity. As if it was not enough to have Hinata's huge and emotional eyes always on him at home. 

 

After the incident, his uncle had been summoned to a meeting with the Hokage, but when he returned he didn't share any details with them. From that moment on, his Uncle spent many more hours outside the compound dealing with the Hisao problem. Or, that's what Neji presumed he was doing.

 

On the night of the storm, he decided to go ahead and leave the cabin as he realized that he wasn't going to get any sleep at all. His mind was too preoccupied and running in too many directions at once. So many times they had used the cursed seal to punish him, but he had never witnessed a death caused by it. It was still affecting him. So much so that he occasionally had to choke back tears. He couldn't put himself into such a vulnerable situation again. Also, he knew that if he broke again and Shikamaru woke up, he would try to comfort him. Neji didn't want the boy to come close to him in that tight mesh shirt. Why? Neji decided he wasn't going to allow his mind to dwell on why. It didn't matter.

 

Neji had found himself several times thinking about the Nara boy. His mind played the scene in the Shikouza clearing over and over: those dark and penetrating jet-black eyes staring at him intently trying to focus his attention so he would not hear the screams that filled the forest, Shikamaru's warm breath against his ear shushing to him to keep silent, and the beating of his heart when he held Neji against his chest. 

 

The Hyūga told himself that all these strange thoughts he was having were the result of the shared experience and the Nara helping him to get through it in such an intimate way. He wasn't going to analyze these thoughts, he would simply wait for them to fade away.

 

It was already late afternoon and it would soon begin to get dark. Neji crossed the main entrance to the Hokage's mansion. He was going to request a new mission. Staying busy was the best thing to do. He traversed the circular hallways with his eyes facing forward. But when he passed near a room with an open door out of the corner of his eye a figure caught his attention.

 

The reglementary uniform, the high ponytail, the loose posture. 

 

Shikamaru seemed to be writing something on a huge blackboard hanging on a wall in one of the Instruction Rooms. Neji was going to continue on his way without stopping when he got a brief glance at what the boy was writing. The Hyūga slowed down to see it with more detail.

 

It looked like a wall of numbers. Just rows and rows, one number after another without any symbol or space between them. Neji stopped completely. Shikamaru hadn't noticed his presence yet, so he took the opportunity to study him. The young ninja held his arm up with little energy, and watched the tip of the chalk slide over the board with an expression of both concentration and boredom.

 

Propelled by what felt like unknown force, Neji approached the door's threshold. Everything in his mind told him to continue on his way, but his body ignored it.

 

"Hi," he said as he stopped under the door frame.

 

Shikamaru jerked a little, but only showed it because the chalk almost fell from his hands. He turned his face towards the newcomer and looked at him with his characteristic half-hearted expression.

 

"Hey," he answered as he lowered his arm.

 

Neji took a few steps into the room. It was the first time they exchanged words since the night in the cabin.

 

"What are you working on?" the Hyuga asked, glancing at the blackboard.

 

Shikamaru stared at him raising his eyebrows, perhaps still a little surprised by the sudden appearance of the ninja, but still looked as relaxed as always. The mention of work, however, made him frown in confusion.

 

"Working?" he asked, as the looked at the blackboard too. Then he seemed to understand what Neji was referring to. "Oh. I'm not working. It's just something I do when I'm bored."

 

Neji raised an eyebrow, confused. "You scribble random numbers?"

 

"Ha. I suppose that's what it looks like, but no." Shikamaru smiled softly. "It's just a lame calculation."

 

"What kind of calculation?" Neji didn't know why he was asking, but he was really curious to know what the Nara was doing.

 

"Mmm," Shikamaru scratched his head for a moment before continuing. "Do you know what the number π is?"

 

"Of course," Neji tried to remember what he had learned in the Academy. 

 

"Well, these are the digits of π. When I'm bored or want to distract myself I calculate some of its decimals.

 

Neji thought about it for a few moments. "What do you use to calculate them?"

 

Shikamaru looked him, not understanding, with one hand in his pocket, and the one that held the chalk hanging next to his body. "What do you mean, what do I use?"

 

Neji thought he had asked a logical question. "Don't you not need a calculator or something of the sort for these kind of calculations?"

 

Shikamaru stared at him for a few seconds. Then he shook his head, looking a little uncomfortable, not really wanting to answer.

 

"No, I just... I... I do the math in my head."

 

Neji's eyes widened in surprise. "I am very impressed. That is extremely complex mathematics to compute in your head."

 

The Nara shrugged. "I suppose…"

 

Not that Neji thought he was lying to him, but it was hard to believe. "I know you have been labeled a genius, but this seems to be on an entirely different level."

 

"Yeah, well, whatever." Shikamaru tossed the chalk to the base of the blackboard. "It's just math. What's up with you? How've you been?"

 

Neji recognized Shikamaru's questions for what they were: the Nara's desire to change the subject. He decided not to press the other boy about something he was obviously self conscious about.

 

"Okay. You?"

 

"Just fine. What are you doing here?"

 

"I was about to request a mission. Why are you here?"

 

"I'm waiting for the Hokage to finish a meeting so I can deliver some papers."

 

There was a brief silence between them, though it was not awkward.

 

"Well, I will continue on my way. Good luck with your... Digits." Neji said as he began to turn.

 

"Thanks," Shikamaru replied with a side smile. "Good luck with your mission request."

 

As Neji was about to cross the door, a sudden figure stepped in his way.

 

"Uncle," Neji said surprised, looking at Hiashi, who made a step into the room.

 

"Hello, Neji," the man greeted. Then he glanced at Shikamaru, who bowed his head respectfully. Neji mentally scolded himself for having been distracted and not perceiving his uncle's chakra. "I needed to speak to you." He paused. "I will be away for a few days. Perhaps as much as a week. I have some matters that require my attention."

 

Neji nodded but remained silent. He would never ask his uncle about things he didn't want to tell him.

 

"I want you to watch out for yourself. Hinata and Hanabi will be okay on their own. But you will need to be careful if I am not nearby."

 

Neji knew what those words meant. "Of course, Uncle. Do not worry. I will be alright," he replied.

 

Hiashi stared at him for a few moments. "I trust you will. I must leave now, I am expected. Take care, Neji."

 

Neji nodded and bowed. Behind him Shikamaru repeated the gesture with his head towards the older Hyuga. Though the only response he got was a glance. Then the man turned and left the room.

 

Neji spent a few seconds thinking about what he had just heard. It wouldn't be good to return to the Hyuga residences that night if the members of the Main House were aware that his uncle would not be in the village. Suddenly a voice spoke behind him reminding him that he was not alone.

 

"Why did he insist so much on you taking care of yourself?"

 

Neji turned around again to face the Nara, who looked at him expressionless.

 

"Main House members don't usually bother me because of my uncle. They are afraid of him, of his power and influence. But if he is not around, they feel more comfortable acting like morons."

 

"And what exactly does 'bother you' mean?" Shikamaru asked without hesitation.

 

"Just taunt me, provoke me and, I do not know." He lowered his head a little. "The things that Main House members usually do."

 

"Sounds like bullying," the Nara didn't try to hide his sneer of contempt.

 

"Yes, that is basically what it is. But it will only be a few days. I can handle it."

 

Shikamaru looked at the floor. He seemed to be pondering the situation. Finally he spoke: "You can staying in the storage cabin, if you want."

 

Neji didn't respond immediately. He was surprised by the offer. In any other situation he would have declined without hesitation, but he really didn't want to return to the Hyuga compound without his uncle's protection. What the Main House members could do to him was much worse than what he had just shared. 

 

"Really?"

 

Shikamaru shrugged lightly. "Sure. It's not the most elegant place, but it will keep you away from those assholes."

 

Neji thought for a long time.

 

Shikamaru pressed, "do you remember where it is?"

 

"Yes," Neji answered. "But I do not wish to be troublesome."

 

"You wouldn't," Shikamaru said calmly. "Nobody goes to that place. Only I use it to store things. It's okay."

 

"Thank You. I greatly appreciate the gesture."

 

"No problem."

 

It seemed like he was going to say something else, but a shrill voice that came from outside the room interrupted him.

 

"Nara, Shikamaru!"

 

"Finally! That's my queue. I'd better go. Feel free to go to the cabin whenever you want. You won't have problems entering the forest." Shikamaru passed next to him and headed through the door. Once on the other side, he waved. "See you."

 

Neji walked slowly towards the mission room. But once there, he was told there were no individual missions at the moment which was what he was looking for. He left his name on the list to be summoned if one came in and left.

 

It was already evening when he left the building. He started walking slowly, thinking about what he could do with the free time. It was uncomfortable for him to hide as he was in the forest. On one hand it made him feel like a coward. On the other, he was aware of the possibility of running into another member of the Nara clan who would have every right to ask him what he was doing there. Shikamaru did not seem to be worried about that though.

 

 Neji thought he would like to stop by his house to grab some clothes, but he didn't want to take the chance of crossing paths with a Main House member. He supposed that the next day he could ask Hinata to get him some more clothes. She would understand that he would not want to stay at home with Hiashi absent. All of his family knew perfectly well how things were inside the clan.

 

Seeing that he didn't have many alternatives, he took the road to the Nara forest. After crossing the tree line and on the path he had used the last time, he activated his Byakugan to guide himself better. Nothing happened. His Kekkei Genkai didn't work. It couldn't be something wrong with him, because he had been using it that day in training. He didn't know what was happening. He told himself that he would ask Shikamaru the next time he saw him. Maybe it was something about the forest. Luckily he had a good sense of direction and remembered the way.

 

After a while he arrived at the cabin. The small room seemed even smaller in the evening gloom, but there was a candle lamp attached to the trunk wall. Neji remembered where Shikamaru had taken his cigarettes and his lighter from. He searched for them for a few seconds without luck. Eventually he found the lighter lying on the ground after kicking it. He took it and lit the candle.

 

The orange glow pierced the darkness. Now that he was alone Neji took some time to study the room. He had not paid much attention the first time he had been there. But now he realized that it was full of random things. There were numerous boxes stacked against the walls, and on them piles of books, papers, and a multitude of different objects: strange watches, antique devices, stones, scrolls and random notes scribbled on scraps of paper. Neji didn't know how most of them worked, or what they were. He took some of the books that were lying on a desk and read their covers. Some were quite specific. "A practical guide to racism", "How to avoid huge ships", "The History of tiles", "Self-destructive philosophy", "How to practice gardening with dynamite", "10 images you should not masturbate to".  _ Who would read these things? _ He could not imagine why Shikamaru had them, much less how he had got them. Where would someone get a Manual for the dissection of crabs? Neji was surprised and a little taken aback.

 

He left the books and began to check the loose papers that were everywhere. Some had complex mathematical calculations. Others were codes unknown to him written in exotic characters he had never seen. Most had annotations in the margins, made by Shikamaru, he assumed. And there was much more. Very detailed machine plans, maps of different regions, game boards with strange shapes, scale models of curious vehicles. It was like being in a museum of things from other civilizations.

 

Neji didn't realize how much time he had spent studying the curiosities that filled the room when suddenly someone knocked on the door.

 

He froze. Should he answer? Open the door? What if it was some random Nara? The glow of the candle must be visible from the outside, and no doubt it had revealed his presence. But before Neji could made a decision, the door opened.

 

Shikamaru's face appeared in the doorway, and Neji breathed in relief. He was carrying a backpack and some things in his hands. "Hey," he greeted him.

 

"Hi," Neji replied.

 

Shikamaru entered the room and left the backpack on the floor. He wasn't wearing his green vest anymore.

 

"Sorry I came without notice. I just thought you would need some bedding if you're going to sleep here."

 

Neji saw that what he was carrying in his hands were several bedspreads and blankets. "Oh, thank you. You didn't have to do that."

 

"I did. You can't spend even one night here sleeping on the floor. Trust me, I've done it, and it's not comfortable." Shikamaru put the blankets over a box and bent down to open his backpack.

 

"I also brought you some of my clothes . They may be a bit big for you, but at least you won't have to sleep in what you wore all day."

 

"Thank you again. It is much appreciated." Neji said as he accepted the clothes that Shikamaru held out to him.

 

"So, are you okay here?"

 

"I am. Actually it's hard to get bored in here. There are some very interesting things."

 

"Really? It's hard to believe someone would find anything I keep in here interesting."

 

"Well, some are quite peculiar. Like this." He held an object out for inspection. "What is it? Some kind of clock?" The Hyuga studied the small metallic gold object that had many discs, one inside the other, with strange symbols on its edges .

 

"Actually that's a map." Shikamaru stepped to stand beside him.

 

"A map?" Neji studied the object trying to understand how that thing could indicate a path.

 

The Nara laughed softly at his perplexed expression. "A sky map. It's a Star Chart. It tells you where the constellations are in each month of the year."

 

"And, these?" Neji pointed to the symbols.

 

"Numbers." He paused. "Hours, minutes and seconds. To identify the declination and the straight ascent of each celestial body, what indicates its positions."

 

"I have never seen numbers like these."

 

"It supposedly belonged to a civilization of navigators from which there are no longer descendants."

 

"And what purpose does it have if you can not read it?"

 

"I can read it."

 

Neji looked at him incredulously. "You can read this?"

 

Shikamaru laughed again. "Well, star charts are basically all the same. They only vary if they were diagrammed in very distant places where the sky looks different. Apparently these navigators were in this area. You can tell if you compare it with a current one of our region."

 

Shikamaru rummaged through some papers until he found what he was looking for. "Here," he said, placing two cardboard discs glued together over a stack of boxes so that Neji could see it. "These numbers that you see here are the hours, minutes and seconds that are written in the other. So since they are almost identical, and you can read this one, it can be said that you can also read the oldest one. See? If you place them in the same coordinates, they match."

 

Neji nodded. He had never seen a map of the sky and found it fascinating. "This is really practical. It would be very useful in missions for when it is necessary to be guided by the stars."

 

"If you like it you can keep it," Shikamaru said while putting his hands in his pockets.

 

"But then you would not have one anymore."

 

Shikamaru smiled. "It's okay, I don't need it. And I can always check on the old one if I need to." He smiled. "It's yours."

 

"Thank you, Shikamaru," Neji thought for a moment before adding: "I like it."

 

"Glad you do."

 

"But tell me now, what about all these books? This one, for example." Neji left the star chart with the blankets and raised the book titled "10 images you should not masturbate to".

 

Shikamaru read the cover and turned his head back to laugh without dissimulation. "That one has a very interesting story," he explained. "I got it from a little village whose religion was apparently quite strict. The priests professed that masturbation destroyed the youth's neurons, so they made this book to dissuade them from… well... you know. Did you open it?"

 

"No. I was not sure if I wanted to see what was inside."

 

"Well you should've, because you would've seen how crazy these people are. Some of the instructions are that you should not masturbate with plants in the shape of a human, or with animal bones, or with the smell of other people's flatulence. I can't imagine how those guys could get horny about those things. But the world is full of lunatics."

 

Neji was smiling in amusement. "And why do you keep it?"

 

"I don't know. I thought it was funny."

 

Neji let out a small laugh. "I guess it is funny. And what about this one?" Neji took "The History of tiles". "I have never seen a more unnecessary book in my life."

 

"Well, it may sound stupid to you, but that's exactly why I got it."

 

"Because it is unnecessary?"

 

"Yeah. I like weird books that talk about weird stuff. They always have very specific information about things you wouldn't even imagine."

 

Neji shook his head, but was still smiling. "You are considerably stranger than I thought, Nara."

 

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Then he turned around. "Are you hungry?"

 

The Hyuga remembered he had not eaten since noon.

 

"Maybe. You brought food?"

 

Shikamaru bent and pulled a bag out of his backpack. "I passed by Choji's house on my way here. His mother is always cooking and gives me a good amount of whatever she is making." He held the bag up. "D'you like nikuman?"

 

They sat on the floor and ate continuing to talk about some of the books and weird stuff Shikamaru had. He told Neji stories about the places where he had found them. He seemed to be really enjoying the chat, and Neji had to admit to himself that he was too. The amount of things the Nara boy knew for his age was impressive, and his knowledge was also quite diverse. Listening to him was undoubtedly entertaining.

 

"And that's how I learned that rabbits are actually creatures from hell. I even, shit!" Shikamaru jumped when the almost complete filling of a nikuman fell on his chest and started to drain all over his shirt. "Damn, how can it still be hot!" He stood up looking for something to dry it.

 

Neji took the kitchen paper that wrapped the remaining nikumans and got up too. "Wait, let me clean it."

 

Shikamaru calmed down and allowed Neji to repeatedly pass the paper over the food. But it was getting through the cloth. Neji grabbed one of Shikamaru's arms to be able to make more pressure, and the Nara became totally stiff. Neji pretended he didn't notice.

 

"It's seeping through the fabric. You should take it off."

  
  


**Shikamaru's POV**

 

Shikamaru went completely blank for a few seconds.  _ Take it off? _ He wasn't sure he wanted to do that. Neji was really close, and he had been having strange thoughts about the other boy lately. He considered his possible answers as quickly as he could, but didn't find any that justified leaving it on.  His mind was stymied by tension.

 

"Yeah, it's still burning a bit," he finally said.

 

Being careful not to get any on his face or in his hair when doing it, he lifted his reglementary shirt and pulled it off. Underneath he only had his transparent mesh shirt from the Nara clan. Shikamaru looked at his stained garment before tossing it to the side. 

 

He turned to face Neji. The Hyuga was looking at him with his eyes wide and his lips tight. Shikamaru noticed that he was trying to not show what he was thinking. The boy was holding his gaze rigidly. The younger ninja admired those big cloudy eyes that looked tempestuous like swirls of mist. He felt pulled towards them. As if he was going to drown in those violet spirals.

 

He realized that the silence was taking too long. So he broke it, unable to take his eyes off of Neji's. "What?" He wanted to sound light but his voice came out quite hoarse.

 

Neji straightened and slowly looked down. "Nothing."

 

But he stopped at a point at Shikamaru's stomach. "You still have some sauce on you."

 

Shikamaru looked down. He did.

 

Neji seemed to move automatically. He moved closer to press the napkin over the stain, obviously thinking he was doing the Nara a favor. But the truth was that his whole body was beginning to heat at the proximity of the Hyuga. It took all Shikamaru's concentration to not move a muscle. Images of possible immediate futures invaded his mind. In most of them he threw himself uncontrollably onto the other and kissing him senseless. But that was just crazy. And wrong. He couldn't do that. He had to concentrate on not having physical contact so he could think straight. But, it suddenly became much more difficult. 

 

Neji lightly touched the taut skin of his stomach with one of his fingers through the separate threads of the fabric. It was very superficial, but it made him shudder, visibly. He looked at Neji's face to see if he had noticed, and found that the older ninja had blushed after touching him. That caused the fire inside Shikamaru to increase exponentially. He wanted to make those cheeks even more red.

 

No. It was insane. He shouldn't have those thoughts. He had never felt that way towards men, why would this be the exception? He had to do something. Now.

 

He reached up and took Neji's wrist to stop him. But it was a big mistake. Shikamaru didn't anticipate it, but the simple touch of his fingers around Neji's thin wrist sent sparks to his brain. He shuddered again, and uncontrollably squeezed his hand lightly. The slight pressure caused Neji to drop the napkin. Now there was only his own hand holding Neji's mere inches away from his stomach.

 

The Hyuga held his gaze again, this time definitely not being able to hide the heat that rose in his skin. The idea that Neji could be fighting against the same impulses he was caused his breath to catch. Those stormy eyes made him feel as though he was on the verge of losing his sanity.

 

Shikamaru had to close his own eyes to control himself. He took a deep breath. His heart accelerated. He tried to calm his nerves by focusing on just breathing in and out for a few moments. He could feel Neji's gaze on his face, but he sensed that if he made eye contact again he wasn't going to be able to control himself.

 

He took his time to prepare, as if he was about to be hit by an arrow. Finally he opened his eyelids, still breathing hard.

 

Neji looked at him with a quizzical expression. No doubt he was surprised by Shikamaru's state, but he himself was not completely on his axis. He didn't try to free his wrist. He just continued to stare at the Nara, breathing agitated as well.

 

To see Neji like that was unbelievable. Neji. Hyuga, Neji. The stoic. The imperturbable. Always serious, always composed.

 

 Shikamaru wanted to see what lay behind that impeccable and practically impenetrable image of perfection. He wanted to see that always neat chocolate hair, untidy and disheveled. And if possible, tangled in his fingers while he…

 

His control finally snapped. He pulled Neji's hand to his stomach and pressed it gently against his abs. The contact sent blood rushing to his groin, even though the touch was through the thin fabric. And it did something better: it made Neji inhale sharply with a sound that was very close to being a moan.

 

Upon hearing it, Shikamaru's breathing became even heavier. He pressed the other ninja's hand against his stomach a bit more, without breaking eye contact.

 

"What are you doing?" Neji asked him, reluctantly but not taking his hand away.

 

Shikamaru brought his head a little closer. "Fuck if I know," he answered slowly. "But you're not stopping me."

 

The Hyuga frowned, but blushed a little more. Shikamaru was delighted with what he was seeing, and the heat kept increasing between them. He no longer knew what part of his body was giving the orders, but it certainly wasn't his brain. He dragged Neji's hand a little lower and spoke with a deep and suggestive voice. "Why aren't you stopping me?" He kept going down, very slowly moving Neji's hand inch by inch over his body.

 

Neji exhaled with another soft sound, and the Nara thought it was the most arousing thing he'd ever heard. The Hyuga didn't answer. He was now looking down at how his fingers and palm were sliding over the tight netting that covered Shikamaru's rigid stomach. Since he didn't get an answer but he wasn't rejected either, the Nara continued speaking.

 

"I think you are not stopping me…" he said almost panting. "Because you don't want me to stop."

 

"Nnh…" Neji let out another repressed moan when the Nara's hand almost reached the area that radiated the most heat.

 

"Stop me." He said hoarsely, with a heavy blink. "Go ahead." Neji didn't do it. Shikamaru moved his face closer to Neji's. He felt the proximity of his lips warming the space between them. "I'm afraid it's on your hands." He paused the descent of his hand. "Because I've totally lost my mind."

 

"You have gone crazy." Neji said with difficulty, still trying to hide his excitement.

 

Shikamaru tasted Neji's breath against his lips. "I think I have."

 

Shikamaru pulled the boy's wrist until his hand was directly above his hard and hot erection. Neji moaned even louder while trying to hold back, which only aroused the Nara even more. He covered the Hyuga's hand with his and made him gently squeeze his member through his pants.

 

"Ah, Kami." Neji closed his eyes and bit his lip.

 

"Yeah…" Shikamaru whispered against Neji's mouth, pressing the smaller hand to make it squeeze his hardness. His voice had never sounded so deep. "Lose your mind with me."

 

The Hyuga opened his eyes and looked directly at him. There was so much lust in that look that Shikamaru finally lost his hold on his last thread of control. He lunged across the space between them and pressed his lips to Nejis.

  
  


**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

**This chapter has been reissued with the corrections and the edition of MirandaZ.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Neji's POV**

When those impertinent lips touched his, Neji felt as if fireworks exploded inside his chest. His heart had never beat so quickly. An intense tingling spread all along his skin. It was similar to being shaken by an electric shock, but not painful. In fact it was completely the opposite.

From the moment Shikamaru took off his black sweater everything went out of control. Neji should never have suggested it, but his mouth betrayed him by uttering the words without his consent. The simple image of the gawky boy in that tight transparent shirt made Neji speechless. Seeing that Shikamaru had noticed it, the Hyuga had tried to speak to break the tension. But he couldn't. He couldn't even look away. He could only remain there, totally petrified. And then he had had the stupid idea of getting closer to clear that stain of sauce in the other ninja's stomach. So foolish. He knew that to maintain his composure he should stay as far away as possible from the Nara. But his mind had cheated him. It made him think that acting that way might make it seem like he was taking the situation naturally, and not having any weird or inappropriate thought.

But he didn't count on accidentally touching the firm skin of those abs. Even though there was still a thin fabric between them, the heat radiating through it made Neji swallow with difficulty. He was about to make back a step, when Shikamaru had taken his wrist.

Neji shouted internally to his whole body to react. He asked it to let go of the grip, to run away, or at least to scream. Something. But there had been no case.

The alarm in his head increased when he felt his palm being pressed against hot muscle. He could perceived his body shaking, but concentrated all his strengths in controlling it. The image of him crouching a little to lift that translucid shirt and slip his tongue along the ardent skin destabilized his mind even more. He couldn't believe how much that excited him.

Then Shikamaru had began the slow descent of his hand to his groin, and Neji's guard got weaker. "Shit!, Kami!", was all he could think. He felt his erection beating and dripping a little. He had tried to appealed to Shikamaru's sanity when he told him he had gone crazy, but the Nara seemed to have that totally assumed.

A few seconds later, Neji had felt the hard and burning member of the other ninja in his hand. He had realised he was blushing and panting, but couldn't help to. He had known that he was putting himself in a very vulnerable situation by letting someone else handle him like that, but in the back of his chest he just wanted the person in front of him to take him strongly and to slam him against the wall.

When the kiss came, he didn't even tried to contain his moan. The sensations that contact released in his body were simply indescribable. He closed his eyes strongly.

They remained like that for long seconds, united by their lips. Shikamaru's hand was still holding his around his erection, which suddenly shivered in Neji's fist, hot and hard. He was about to let out another groan and a curse when a wet tongue stroked his closed mouth. Neji felt himself getting stiffen as well, losing a little more of control with each lick. After running his lips several times, Shikamaru stopped his mouth over Neji's. His breath of tobacco and lust were intoxicating. Then he gently pressed the union of the Hyuga's lips with the tip of his tongue, until the smaller ninja surrendered and allowed him to enter.

Both wet muscles touched shyly at first. But shortly they lost themselves in the sensation of tasting each other, and their tongues got entangled again and again. The two boys groaned simultaneously into the kiss and got closer. Shikamaru let go his hand and put both of his in the Hyuga's hips, while Neji clung to his biceps and squeezed hard with his fingers. The Nara pressed the smaller body against his, making their groins met. The sensation of Shikamaru's burning sex rubbing against his sended electricity all along Neji's spine. He broke the kiss to exclaim:

-Fuck!

The taller ninja took the chance to drove his mouth to Neji's jaw and plant wet and hot kisses along it. He continued to the long white neck, drawing a line of burning saliva. The Hyuga moved his hands to Shikamaru's shoulder blades and buried his nails on them. Shikamaru shouted loudly at the pleasure cause by that, which made him roll his body and press their erections harder. Neji jumped a little when he felt thumbs slightly lifting his robe and caressing his hip bones. Things were very closely to go to hell. He had to do something, or say something, to make that chaos stop.

-Nh, Shikamaru.. Ah! -he started, but had to stop when fierce teeth bit the junction of his neck and shoulder.

At the mention of his name, the boy rose his mouth to Neji's ear and panted hoarsely into it:

-Mmhmm? -that deep guttural response, so relaxed and hungry at the same time, vibrated inside his eardrum.

-Mmn, we have to... control... ourselves. -Neji said with difficulty.

The Nara exhaled a soft laugh that made him shudder.

-Control? How can you think about control right now? Or about anything? -was the slow answered. -My brain it's completely melted.

Before Neji could reply, a hot tongue slided through the edge of his ear. He unconsciously moved his hands to Shikamaru's neck and squeezed firmly.

-This is… madness. -he cried when Shikamaru went back to kiss his jaw, never stopping the rhythmic movement of his hips that made his erections rub through their clothes.

After tasting Neji's skin for a few more seconds, the Nara slowly retracted his head to placed his mouth over his again, and purred against it: -It is. But I can't stop myself from wanting it..

He crashed their lips together once more, and the dance of tongues repeated. Neji shivered at the feeling of Shikamaru's hands going deeper under his robe. If he didn't intervene, they would be naked in seconds. When their broke the kiss for air, he threw the first thing that came to his head:

-So this is what you wanted? -he asked.

The other almost missed him. He had already went back to kissing Neji's neck, and murmured something like "what" against his skin.

-This is… what you pretended.. by helping me? -the older boy continued, trying to react as little as possible to the exciting sensation of those wild lips.

Shikamaru stopped gradually and straightened slowly. He watched Neji with confusion, trying to focus.

-What? -he repeated. The Hyuga gave him a heated look that tried to seem distrustful so that his words would sound serious. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows startled. -Man, no! -he exclaimed. -Of course not.

Neji didn't respond. He lowered his eyes and tried to normalize his heart rate.

Seconds passed and the silence became tense. The Nara started withdrawing his hands slowly. Finally he spoke again. His voice sounded ashamed and suddenly insecure.

-Do you really think I would...? -he left the question fade into the air.

Neji had managed to regain some control, and was capable of looking at him again and harden his gaze. Upon seeing it Shikamaru released him immediately and took a step back. He looked at the floor, denying with his head and frowning deeply. His expression had completely changed.

-I would never... I mean... You can't actually think that.

The older ninja regretted a little having said those words. He didn't think that the Nara wasn't trying to manipulate him. At least for what he could see, this situation was not a thing he had planned. It was out of both boys' hands. But he had to be always careful. And besides it had worked to stop that nonsense. He had to clung to that because it was the only way of doing it he could find at that moment.

-Why not? -he answered, still breathing a little agitated. -I don't know you that much, you have never even approached to me before, and I've heard you can be very tricky. You're very smart, after all.

Shikamaru watched him with horror. After hesitating a lot and obviously struggling to comprehend, he asked:

-Do you really believe I could do something like that? I mean, deceive you, use the circumstances to get you in here and, I don't know, take advantage of you?

Neji controlled his voice to sound believable.

-Like I said, I don't know you.

Shikamaru looked away and shook his head again, but he was not angry. He seemed embarrassed and frustrated at the same time. Maybe a little mad with himself.

-So you think I'm some kind of perv or something?

Neji kept silent and gave him a caution look. The other held his gaze, and frown deeply at the realization that he could actually think that way.

-This is ridiculous. I would never... It's just... Damn it!

He put a hand to his face and strongly squeezed his eyes with his fingers. His other hand was compressed in a tight fist at the side of his body. Neji felt bad. He knew he had been enjoying the hole situation himself. But he couldn't let the Nara find out about it. Nor could he allow what had been about to happen to happen. If for some reason it arrived to his clan's ears, the consequences could include death for him. It did not matter how many child molesters there were in the family. For the rest of society, the Hyugas were traditionalists and condemned homosexuality. Regardless of how many times Main House members had abused young girls and boys.

Neji simply watched Shikamaru deal with his thoughts. He seemed to want to hit himself. He was a little disheveled, with his ponytail loose and crooked. The Hyuga had messed it up during the last kiss. He could not help but think that he still looked very attractive in that transparent shirt, with his cheeks still flushed with excitement. Neji would have approached and slide his hands over those pectorals. But he couldn't. He shouldn't.

The Nara held his eyes on the floor for some seconds, still frowning in frustration and clenching his jaw. He started to turn around slowly, moving awkwardly.

-I better go.

He crouched to grab his black sweater from the floor, and then went straight to the door. He opened it, but held it for a moment. He turned his head a little and opened his mouth, like he was about to add something else. But finally he shook his head and simply said:

-Night.

Then he passed the threshold and closed the door behind him.

**Shikamaru's POV**

He walked hastily towards his house through the forest with a knot in his throat. What the hell had he done? He had completely screwed things up. He felt embarrassed and confused. At all time he had known he was acting recklessly, but he just hadn't been able to contain himself. After admitting there was no point in trying to hold back because his body was ignoring him, he had considered all the paths that the matter could take. In the worst of them Neji hit the hell out of him with his Gentle Fist, and surprisingly he had decided he was willing to take that risk. But the real outcome had been much worse. Shikamaru couldn't believe what had just happened. The Hyuga really thought he had been manipulating him to get under his clothes. That was fucking bullshit!. He didn't even fully understand why he felt attracted to the guy in the first place. Neither could he explain why his body started acting by itself despite of his resistance. But he had definitely not planned those events. They had just happened. But how do you clearly explain someone that you are having weird impulses towards him, without alarming him? Not by putting his hand in your penis, that was for sure.

"Very subtle, you genius", he told himself. He wanted to disappear from the world. Or travel back in time to tell his past self not to get his shirt off, not to get close to the Hyuga and not to behave like an asshole.

Neji had said he was tricky. He hated that word, because it wasn't the first time someone identified him with that concept. People tended to think that because he was good at strategizing he was always conspiring to get what he wanted. Shikamaru wasn't going to pretend he never lied. He did. A lot. But only to avoid some situations or to have more time to sleep. They were all innocent lies. He wasn't a fucking cheater.

It was very difficult to prove that to people whom he had shared missions with. Most of his plans involved some kind of deceit or illusion, because he believed that the best way to dominate a battle was to make enemies believe that they were handling the situation, when in fact it was him who moved the pieces on the board.

Those who witnessed this and saw with their own eyes the naturalness with which the Nara used to fool its adversaries, often doubted his reliability. They thought that at any moment he could be lying and manipulating the situation. It was a prejudice he had met countless times with, even at school. When he was still a child, many teachers doubted about how he completed the exams. Since he was always sleeping and never did the requested homework, but had all the answers right in tests, they were convinced that he copied from other students. They called him a liar.

He felt anger and impotence. He couldn't stand the idea that someone thought he could take advantage of a vulnerable person to harass him. He wasn't like that.

Once in his house and in his bedroom, he lay on his bed to tried to finally get some sleep. But of course he didn't achieve it. He spend the whole night trying to block the opposing thoughts that flooded his mind. On the one hand, the taste of Neji's skin on his lips, the softness of his mouth, the feel of his hand grasping his erection. All those memories got him excited and hard each time he repeated them in his head. On the other hand, the accusation, the distrust, which made his breath freeze in his throat and filled him with intense guilt. For hours he went in and out of short and turbulent dreams. Until the morning came.

He knew there was no case in kept trying to rest, so he got up very early and went straight to the shower. While the hot water washed him, he consider something he had already decided to do during that night: apologize to Neji. He had to let him very clear that he wasn't nor a depraved nor a manipulator. But he didn't knew if Neji would want to see him, and it was very hard to find a Hyuga if he didn't want you to. With the Byakugan it was easy to avoid anyone.

He confirmed this after spending all day walking down the village looking for him. Finally, when the sun had just begun to set, he spotted team nine sitting in the training camps, drinking water and chatting. They had apparently just finished their daily practice. Shikamaru went straight to them. He walked lazily with his hands in his pockets, but in his mind he repeated for the millionth time what the had planned to say.

-Hey. -he greeted.

-Hi, Shikamaru-kun! -Lee saluted him with an enthusiastic scream.

-Hi, Shikamaru. -Tenten smiled at him. Neji didn't even rose his stare from his water bottle.

-Good training? -he asked naturally.

-Always! -Lee screamed again raising his arms, while Tenten shrugged with a half smile.

-As exhausting as ever. -she answered.

-Of course. -Shikamaru said. -Hyuga, you have a minute?

Neji looked at him slightly out of the corner of his eye, while his companions turned their heads towards him.

-For what? -he replied.

The Nara maintained his face expressionless.

-I need to talk to you.

The Hyuga looked at his bottle again.

-I think we have nothing to talk about.

Shikamaru kept silent for a few seconds, then simply said:

-Well we do.

Finally Neji turned his head and looked at him seriously.

-Fine. Talk.

The Nara hesitated for a brief moment. He could feel the eyes of the whole team on him.

-I'd rather do it in private. -he said at last.

Neji turned his face again and answered decisively:

-There's no need for that. Anything you need to tell me you can say it here.

Shikamaru sensed how Lee and Tenten looked at each other in confusion. Bastard. He was using them to not be alone with him. So he really was avoiding him. But he couldn't keep that feeling of guilt inside him. He needed to apologize. And if the Hyuga didn't give him room to do it in private, he would do it anyway in any circumstance. Neji was forcing him to it.

-All right. -he said finally. Neji froze and then looked at him frowning deeply. -I wanted to apologize for what I did yesterday. It wasn't good. I don't know what I was thinking. Actually, I believe I wasn't thinking at all. But anyway, it's just that. I'm sorry.

After a brief silence during which Neji tried to kill him with his eyes, Tenten asked alarmed:

-Wow! What did you do to him, you slacker? -It was amazing how she immediately stopped being friendly.

Shikamaru looked at Neji for a moment, waiting to see if he intervened. As he did nothing but watch him with hatred, he continued.

-I ... said some offensive things about his family. -he lied.

Tenten turned to observe Neji, and then faced Shikamaru again.

-Well, shame on you! -she put her hands on her hips and watched him reproachfully.

-Yeah, well... -he add. -I haven't been sleeping much lately. And when I don´t, my brain just stop working correctly. It's not an excuse, but it's true. -he made a pause before concluding. -That's pretty much all I wanted to say. Hope you can forgive me. So, that's it. I leave you guys.

He turned on his heels and left, walking leisurely.

He addressed slowly towards his house taking the long path, the one that surrounded the Nara forest. He walked without hurry for about 30 minutes. The sky shone with the intense pink of sunset. The wind made the leaves of the inmenses trees crackle. Shikamaru took a long breath of the forest's pleasant and familiar smell.

Suddenly, when he was reaching his turn, he heard steps over the road behind him, no far away. Without stopping his slow march, he looked slightly over his shoulder.

He caught a glimpse of Neji's carefully tied hair waving in the wind that moved the leaves. He stopped and completely turned his body to face the Hyuga. The ninja was coming straight at him with a very serious expression. He stood only a few meter away from Shikamaru and cross his arms, making intense eye contact.

-You got some nerve to speak those thing in front of my team. -he said.

Shikamaru held those stormy eyes's gaze.

-You let me no choice. You were avoiding me. -he answered flatly.

-Now Tenten doesn't stop asking me what you said to me. And she's very gossipy so I know she's going to keep asking.

Shikamaru used his most sincere tone.

-Look, I'm sorry about that, but I needed to apologize. Hyuga, I'd never purported to take advantage of you, in any way. I need that to be very clear to you.

Neji slightly softened his expression, but didn't respond. He clenched his lips instead. The Nara took a step forward and talked lower:

-I'm really sorry, okay? I don't know why the hell I did it. I totally lost it. But I feel terribly bad about it. Can we just pretend it never happened?

Neji simply studied his eyes for a minute. Shikamaru didn't flinch.

-We will pretend it never happened, and we will never let it happen again. -he finally said.

Shikamaru nodded and looked at the floor for a moment to ease the tension their stare was generating.

-Deal. -he kept silent a few seconds and then add. -You can keep using the storage cabin. I mean, if you need to. I promise I won't go bothering.

Neji finally broke his stare and lowered his gaze a little. He spoke with a hint of resignation.

-It would be really good not to spend this nights in my house with my uncle absent.

Shikamaru nodded again.

-I assure you you won't have any problem.

They rose their gazes at the same time and their eyes met again.

They looked at each other for long seconds. Finally, Shikamaru softened his stare and put on an innocent expression.

-So we're good? -he asked smiling very lightly.

Neji meditated a moment and finally answered, smiling a little too:

-We are good.

Everything was fine, Shikamaru thought. He relaxed, and Neji seeme to do the same.

-I was going home already. If you're going to the cabin, I'll walk you there and then continue to my house.

Neji seemed to see nothing wrong with it, and nodded.

-All right.

They walked a few meters and got to the access they had used before, and crossed the forest's limit. They moved quietly through the paths, that sometimes was so wide that allowed them to walk side by side. In one of those moments, Neji broke the silence by asking a very inopportune question.

-Why haven't you been sleeping lately?

Shikamaru rose his eyebrows in surprise, but made it look like his was considering the response. "Cause I've been spending all nights trying not to jerk off thinking about you", he thought. That would've been the honest answer. But of course he couldn't say that. He put together something else in his head.

-I don't know. -he said lazily. - But don't worry. I'm totally going to sleep now. I could sleep standing up.

Minutes later they reached the cabin. They said goodbye and Neji crossed the door of the warehouse, while Shikamaru continued on his way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Shikamaru's POV**

For the next couple of days, Shikamaru stood his distance. He resolved that the best way of no screwing things up again, was to not even cross paths with the Hyuga. "Avoid interaction and you'll be safe", he told himself. He kept distracted by hanging out with his team, pretending he was training, and entertaining Asuma with his chatter, so that he didn't force him to do push-ups. He did some paperwork, run an errand for his mother and fed herds of forest's deers. He was always careful of not getting too close to the cabin where Neji was. He had to make a detour to get to his house, but it was the most prudent thing. Days went by pretty easily.

Nights were the problem. Although he had managed to sleep a few hours in a row, he kept on waking up. And each time it was because some very suggestive image of Neji, blushing, hot and with little clothes, assaulted his dreams. After a while his subconscious always collapsed and expelled him to reality.

Every time, he found himself lying face up, bathed in sweat, agitated and aroused. And the worst part was the throbbing and hard erection that demanded his attention. He didn't dare to act on it. It will be like definitely admitting to himself he was having lusty thoughts about the Hyuga. Though it was pretty evident judging by how he kept getting stiff by remembering his moans. He continued trying his best to contain himself.

But in the last hours of the last night, he just couldn't hold it anymore. It's was after a very hot dream, in which he grabbed Neji's naked body from behind and crash it against his, while biting hungrily the delicate skin of the boy's neck. His mind broke when the Hyuga started crying in pleasure.

He woke with a start and noticed immediately that his erection dripped plentifully under his underwear. He felt it trembling and squirting over his crotch. He closed his eyes and fisted the sheets strongly. "Control yourself", he thought while clenching his teeth. His whole body shook from trying to contain the feeling. He put a hand to his crotch and squeezed the persistent member, trying to discourage it with a little bit of pain. But it didn't work. He slipped his hand under his underwear and placed his fingers around his soaked erection. He repeated the pression, but had the same outcome.

-Fuck. -he cursed between his teeth.

Suddenly, the memory of Neji's fist grasping him came to his mind. Along with the Hyuga's spicy breath, his slippery and delicious tongue, his cheeks red with arousal.

He couldn't escape anymore. He needed release. He started stroking his erection, slowly at first, but gaining speed as the images kept repeating in his head. His body stiffened. His legs and abdomen tensed. In short time he got close to the edge, and with the exiting sound of Neji's moans still rumbling in his ears, he came with a guttural groan.

Intenses seconds later, the energy seemed to abandon his entire body, leaving him only with a tingling in his skin and clouded thoughts. He had spent days trying to avoid what he had just done, and now he was exhausted. He dropped his sticky hand to one side, and thought he should take a bath. But the fatigue was too strong. He closed his eyes and slept profoundly for the first time in days.

**Neji's POV**

A couple of days passed without much relevance, and Neji devoted himself to training hard. The village was calm. There were no missions available, except for the classic cat-catching one, but luckily those were reserved for beginners. He used the spare time to meditate and to prepare himself in case of being summoned.

He had already managed to talk to Hinata without returning to the Hyuga terrains. She had been worried about his whereabouts, so he had to tell her he was staying in the Nara forest, courtesy of Shikamaru. She got very glad of hearing that. Hinata really loved her cousin, and she always felt guilty for the different treatment they received for being in different branches of the family. But he wasn't resentful towards her, not anymore. She was a sweet and kind girl that, same as him, had the terrible luck of having born into that perverse clan. After putting her up to date with his situation, the girl had ran home and returned with a backpack full of clothes and toiletries for Neji. She had even added some snacks made by her. No doubt she had a protective instinct.

Five days had passed since Hiashi had gone. There were two left for him to return. Neji hadn't seen Shikamaru yet, and supposed the guy should be keeping his distance. He appreciated it. The night things went out of control he had had to lie to the Nara and make him feel terrible to make him stop. But he didn't know if he would be able to do it again. It had been really hard to contain himself, though he wasn't going to admit it, no even in his head. He decided that if the other ninja chose not to approach, he wouldn't do it either. In a few days the situation would have ended and everything would return to normal.

On the morning of the sixth day, Neji accompanied Tenten to the Hokage mansion. She had to deliver the report Guy Sensei prepared every month to account for his team's progress. He was waiting for her at the door of one of the offices while she talked to the ninja in charge of receiving the informs. They had planned to meet Lee after finishing, to start the day's training. Neji waited patiently, when a voice sounded behind him.

-Working early?

That bored and lazy tone, could only belong to one person. He turned around and found himself face to face with Shikamaru, who stared at him with his hands in his pockets.

-Yes. To seize the day. -Neji answered calmly.

The Nara raised an eyebrow.

-Right. I'd like to seize it sleeping.

Neji smiled faintly at that, not realizing he was doing it.

-That's the only thing you think about, Nara? -he said amused.

-Pretty much. -the other ninja responded with a side grin. -What are your plans for today?

Neji passed his weight from one leg to the other.

-Train. Eat. Train again. The usual things for when there are no available missions. Meditate, probably.

-Wow, you really know how to enjoy your free time. -Shikamaru mocked him. -I mean, meditating. That's sounds thrilling.

Neji smiled again at the ironic tone and crossed his arms.

-Better than reading about tiles. -he answered.

The Nara slightly laughed.

-Point taken. -he said relaxed, without any trace of anger. -But when someday the world is in danger and only the knowledge about tiles can save our lives, you'll thank me.

-Right, because that's very likely. -Neji replied entertained.

Shikamaru shrugged.

-It could be. Maybe there's someone with the jutsu of controlling tiles, and only I'll have the information to defeat him. I'd be the Great Tile Defeater.

That made the Hyuga laugh openly.

-Shut up. -he said, smiling and denying with his head.

-What? It'd be awesome. Konoha's Green Beast would be just a twig in comparison to me.

Neji cackled softly once more.

-Sure. You are dreaming, Nara.

\- I wish I was.-he answered, acting a sleepy look.

They exchanged friendly glances for a few moments, until the tallest ninja spoke again.

-I better go before someone gives me a work to do. -he walked pass Neji slowly. -Have a nice and exhausting day.

Neji gave him a last smile, though he tried to hide it.

-Equal to you. -he replied.

He was watching the ninja's lazy step as he walked towards the exit, when Tenten's voice rang behind him:

-Amm, what was that?

He turned around and looked at her.

-What? -he asked confused.

His teammate rose her eyebrows and smiled a little.

-Really? "What"? -she walked until she met him outside the office. - All that flirting!

-What! -he exclaimed startled, and then looked around to check if someone had heard her. He lowered his voice to continue. -Are you insane?

She was smiling openly and looking at him with mischief.

-Oh, please. I totally saw something there. Admit it.

Neji frown as he started walking down the hall.

-I have nothing to admit. There was nothing there. Just normal work talk. Don't be ridiculous.

-Work talk, hm? -she said while walking besides him towards the exit. -I've never seen you smile to anyone at work like that. I mean I've hardly seen you smile to anyone anywhere. And I doubt that work hater slacker ever does when his here.

They crossed the door and headed towards the training camps.

-That proves nothing. And we were just chatting. Come on, you can be serious.

Tenten shrugged:

-I just know that you laughed of all his stupid jokes.

Neji looked at her annoyed and then rolled his eyes.

-So what?

She giggled.

-I think you like him.

Neji stopped and watched her with horror.

-What? -he made a pause. -Have you lost your mind?

She stopped too and smiled at him with complicitly.

-C'mon. You can tell me. I saw the way you looked at each other.

Neji shook his head and looked at the sky, exasperated.

-What way?! We weren't looking at each other in any way, Tenten!

-Mmmhm. Whatever you say. But I know what I saw. And I'm sure there is something you haven't told me about his apology from the other day.

Neji looked at her in disbelief and shook his head again, as he resumed his walk.

-You are crazy.

For the rest of the morning they trained with Lee. But Tenten never stopped giving him knowing looks and silly smiles.

A few hours later, after taking a quick shower in the training camps locker rooms, Neji decided he would meditate before having something to eat. Later he would resume his practice.

He took the path to the Hokage's park. It was a sunny noon. The leaves were of a bright green and the warm wind spread the flowers's sweet fragrance. Neji watched the path forward, and saw long ahead a figure walking in opposite direction to his, approaching slowly. He didn't need to activate his Bakugan to know who it was. He could recognize that fatigued walk at any distance. Also, as they got closer and closer, he began to perceive the figure's chakra. A particular chakra, unlike any other he had felt before.

"Be friendly, but not too much". Neji told himself in his head. He couldn't allow anyone else to believe that there was something unusual between them. When they were finally just some steps away, they both stopped, and looked at each other directly in the eyes.

-Hi again. -Shikamaru greeted putting his hands in his pockets and smiling lazily.

Bastard. Couldn't he just stop being so nice?

-Hello. -Neji replied calmly.

-Going to train, for a change?

Neji held back a smile at the provocation, but couldn't help but arch the corner of his mouth a little.

-No, I was about to go meditate. -he said keeping his expression sober. -What about you? Still avoiding work?

Shikamaru balanced his weight on one of his legs.

-Actually, I'm running an errand for my mom. And no one would dare to overpast a summonition from that woman, so I have the perfect excuse.

-Well, lucky for you. -Neji answered. -But I doubt that it can take you the whole day.

The Nara grimaced with satisfaction.

-It can. I have to go pick some medicinal ingredients to a village not far away. And if I walk very slowly, I could be back for nightfall.

Neji finally smiled and denied with his head.

-You are unbelievable lazy, Nara.

-I know. -he admitted. -And you are unbelievable productive. Do you never take a day off?

Neji shrugged.

-No. Honestly, a complete day lazing around. I don't know. I think I'd get bored.

Shikamaru snorted.

-That's cause you don't know how to have fun.

Neji raised his eyebrows at the comment.

-Oh but you do. -he replied, but with no anger. -Because calculating pi decimals it's a breathtaking adventure.

Shikamaru pretended to be offended.

-Hey, I don't always do that. And it keeps sounding better than meditating.

Neji repressed his smile again.

-Right. What village are you going to?. -he asked, just to make conversation. He wasn't going to admit it, but he liked talking with the sluggish ninja.

-It's called Fukanzen. It's about 25 minutes from here, near the creek.

-I've never heard of it. -Neji said after thinking for a while.

-I'm not surprised. Many haven't. -Shikamaru answered. -But it's very nice.

-Is not that the area where people say most bandits come from? -Neji questioned. It was usual to hear adults advert children to stay away from that zone. It was said that the settlers were a bit uncivilized, because their methods of subsistence had not advanced much over time, and that was why they provided themselves by stealing.

-That's a mean rumor. -Shikamaru replied convinced. -People is actually very kind and welcoming. -Neji looked at him suspiciously, so he insisted. -Really, I swear. If you want to check it with your own eyes, you can come with me.

Neji opened his mouth to politely decline the offer, when an authoritarian voice came from behind him.

-Neji. -it simply said.

The boy turned around and saw, standing only a few meters away from them, a Main House Hyuga member. His name was Hyuga Hayato. He was a very short, elderly man, that despite not being part of the Hyugas 's council, had an important place in the clan. His long and thick hair had already turned pure white.

Neji instantly went to the old man's call. He stopped at a respectful distance and bowed.

-Yes, Hayato-sama? -he was forced to ask. The other, as expected, didn't return the bow.

-Tonight it's the banquet in honour of the last graduated Hyugas chunins. -The ancient said with a raspy voice. -You must help prepare the central lounge and serve during dinner. You should be there now. There is a lot to do. Come on.

After finishing this sentence, he turned around and started walking, expecting to be followed. Neji didn't have time to answer, and made a few confused steps behind him, totally forgetting Shikamaru. But only seconds later, the Nara's voice rang loudly in the air.

-Hyuga! Where the hell do you think you're going?!

Both Neji and Hayato stopped and turned to look at him. The boy had put on a very annoyed expression, and walked towards where they were with marked anger. Immediately after reaching them, he planted his feet and said impatiently:

-What on earth are you doing? And who's this? Your grandmother?

Neji froze at hearing that, and Hayato's jaw dropped. The old man started to respond him clearly irritated:

-How dare you..?

But Shikamaru cut him as if he hadn't even heard the offended voice.

-Excuse me, ma'am, but this guy has been summoned for a diplomatic mission out town, and we're already running late.

The old man's white face turned red with fury. Neji was completely flabbergasted.

-You insolent brat! I am a male! -the old Hyuga yelled at him.

Shikamaru tilted his head back and inspected him up and down.

-Oh. Sorry. -he said. -With you Hyugas it's hard to know. Maybe it's your hairstyle. When you're still young there's no problem, but when you get aged you all look like old ladies.

Hayato's face contracted with hatred. Neji was horrified and stunned. He had to intervene.

-Shikamaru! -he exclaimed -Watch your manners.

-How can you be so disrespectful? -the older Hyuga asked with contempt.

Shikamaru regained his menacing gaze, and spoke harshly and without hesitation.

-This is how: you are interfering with my captain work. Therefore, I won't be kind to you.

Hayato inhaled, indignant.

-This boy must serve in a very important Hyuga's banquet tonight, and the preparation has already started. -he sentenced.

The Nara narrowed his eyes and walked a few steps closer to the man. He spoke very slowly.

-So you're telling me you want to take away my assigned ninja so he can be your waiter in a stupid party?

The elderly Hyuga straightened up and stood on his tiptoe to look larger before the obvious superior height of the young boy.

-He has to obey. Main House members have the authority to request Branch House members for duty. -he said.

-Yeah. -Shikamaru answered decisively. -But you can't request them if they're on a mission ordered by the Hokage. Which this is. So I recommend you to let us continue, unless you wanna discuss it with the Godaime.

Hayato frowned deeply at that, and said after struggling with his hate:

-You are a very impertinent kid.

-Mhm. -Shikamaru replied, looking at him boredly. -And a very bussy one, too. You'll have no problem finding another Branch Member, among the many others you have to choose from. Let's get moving, Hyuga. -he added, giving the other young ninja a movement of his head, and starting to walk.

Neji looked at his angry superior for a moment and gave the man an apology glance.

-I am very sorry, Hayato-sama. He is very rude sometimes. I don't know what's wrong with him. I have to go. Please, excuse me. -he bowed quickly and walked fast behind the Nara.

After they were at a considerable distance, Neji gave Shikamaru a side look and whispered at him:

-What the hell?!

-Shh. -the boy silenced him. -Just keep walking. We got to disappear from here before he thinks in a retort.

They took the path that leaved Konoha as fast as they could. They reached the village's entrance, registered their names in the control post, and set their feet outside the big walls. They resumed their walk, but slower this time. The wind whistled in the wide road's silence. Only there, they talked again.

-What were you thinking?! -Neji screamed. -You can just insult a Main House Hyuga like that.

-Why not? -Shikamaru answered, staying calm. -I'm not a Branch House member. He can't do anything to me.

-Right. -Neji said without being able to stop himself. -But he can do anything to me.

Shikamaru frowned deeply at that and then narrowed his eyes, like trying to read his. The Hyuga looked away.

-He can't blame you for a having a bad-mannered asshole as a mission teammate. -the Nara said, still holding his relaxed tone. -Don't worry. Unless he checks the day missions, which I doubt cause, you know, he's very old, he has no reason to suspect from us.

He sounded extremely carefree. Neji looked at him again, and saw he was smiling to him. The Hyuga didn't responded.

-Hey, relax. He won't find out. -the Nara told him reassuringly. -And I got you a day off. How cool is that?

Neji's eyes went blank for a second, until he finally smiled. He directed his gaze to the road and softened his tone.

-I don't know if it was worth it.

-What was worth it was to see that old bastard's face when I asked if he was your grandmother. -Shikamaru said with a no disguised amused tone.

The memory of Hayato's expression in that exact moment made the older ninja realise a clear laugh.

-That was priceless. -he admitted, not hiding his joy.

No doubt, despite the worry, Neji was delighted that someone had altered that petulant old man to such an extent. But now he was obligated to accompany the Nara in his trip. He would have to be very careful to keep things from getting out of control.


	6. Chapter 6

**Neji's POV**

 

They walked unhurriedly through the forest that surrounded Konoha. The afternoon sun shone up in the sky, but its rays only reached them filtered through the leafy treetops. The wind was blowing warmly, and the conversation flowed naturally.

-That was a reckless move. -Neji said, referring to his companion's last crazy strategie of offending a Main House member. -How did you knew he wasn't going to make a scandal or claim to speak with the Hokage?

Shikamaru clicked his tongue.

-That guy? Nah. Stupids with power like him don't know what to do when another person demonstrates authority. They're not used to receiving orders, and they're left wondering if they should prevail, or accept that they don't have absolute power above everything. But they also don't like ducking their heads, so the smartest thing to do is to take off before they regain confidence. You know, after the first impact.

Neji rose his eyebrows.

-Yes, I would definitely call that an impact. -They both smiled at the comment. -But I still think it was a risky bet.

Shikamaru stretched his arms up and yawned. Then he crossed them behind his neck and closed his eyes.

-It was worth the risk for seeing his expression. Besides, that thing about authority is true. People who have power because they have inherited it from their ancestors, never feel completely settled in their place. They are afraid of losing it. That's what I mean by "stupids with power." I have a book about that in the storage cabin, it's called "The soul behind the throne." Very interesting.

Neji thought about the Nara's words for a moment, but what he said brought back to his memory something he had been wondering about.

-That reminds me, I wanted to ask you: why do you keep all those thing so far away from your house? Wouldn't it be better to have them in your room or somewhere more accessible?

The carefree expression disappeared from Shikamaru's face, leaving in its place an evident surprise. It seemed that he did not expect that question. He lowered his arms and contemplated the horizon ahead of them for a few seconds. He considered his answer a lot before saying:

-Well, I rather keep them as far away from my father as possible.

Neji arched an eyebrow, confused.

-Why? -he asked intrigued.

The lazy ninja tilted his head back a little and stared at the clouds, like trying to find in them the best words to explain himself. It was hard to read his expression, because he always looked relaxed and bored above all. But this time Neji also noticed a certain discomfort. When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded somewhat embarrassed.

-Ammm.. -he begun, scratchin inconciently the back of his neck. -Well, he kind of think that I have the habit of bragging my intelligence on his face.

-That's odd. -the Hyuga answered. -I've never heard you presume of your smartness.

Shikamaru shrugged.

-I know. -he said. -But he's very convinced about it. So, I try to keep the nerdiest stuff away from his sight. It's not a big deal.

Neji went silent for a few moment. That was not the impression he had of the boy's father. The man was Konoha's Jōnin Commander, and he was well respected for his intelligence and his great achievements in battle. He wouldn't consider him as someone irrationally envious.

-You mean he competes with you or something like that?

-I guess, kind of. -the Nara said, trying not give the subject much importance.

-That is a strange attitude for a father. -Neji continued. -I mean, anyone would think that an intelligent man would be proud to have an intelligent son.

-Yeah, well, this is not the case. -the taller ninja responded. His face had suddenly turned expressionless.

The Hyuga watched him with attention. He had no idea there was tension between the guy and his father. When he didn't respond for a minute, Shikamaru turned his face to look at him, and realized he was being stare with a slight hint of pity. He immediately intervened to dissipate it.

-Hey, you don't have to give me that look. It's fine. -he smiled lightly to show unconcern. -The man just has a very fragile ego. That's it.

Neji finally turned his gaze away.

-All right. But I think it's not nice that you have to hide like a mole to avoid trouble.

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets. He had completely recovered his loose attitude.

-Actually, moles make very elaborate hiding places. Some even have several rooms, including a separate area for the bathroom. Much better than the cabin.

Neji shook his head, surprised by the Nara's ability to change the subject using weird data that almost nobody had heard about.

-How do you know that? -he asked amused.

Shikamaru shrugged once more.

-I readed it somewhere. -he simply said.

For a time they continued to talk about irrelevant things that the Nara boy had discovered by snooping around during his life. It was incredible the amount of things that his mind could stored with an extreme level of detail.

-And what is the point of gathering all that information? -Neji asked. -Are you trying to become a human encyclopedia?

Shikamaru smiled at the commentary.

-That'd be pretty cool.

-You could easily become an advisor. There are few shinobis with general knowledge like yours.

The Nara made a grimace to dismiss the possibility.

-I guess, but I'm not interested. -he said pausedly. -Sounds like a lot of work.

Neji snorted with fun.

-You have absolutely no ambition, do you?

-Off course I do. -Shikamaru answered. -I just that my ambitions aim to live a quiet life and not having to deal with troublesome situations.

-Don't you want to improve as a shinobi? -the Hyuga insisted. -You never even took the Jōnin exam.

Shikamaru stretched until the bones of his back creaked.

-Nah, I'm done with exams. -he said. -Besides, what would be the point of taking it? Tsunade-sama is already giving me assignments from higher levels despite still being a Chūnin. Which means it's just a title. It's not worth it.

-If you say so. -Neji conceded.

-And what about you, mister improvement? -the Nara asked. -What's your amazing goal?

Neji contemplated the path with determination.

-To be as far as possible from my clan.

-Sounds reasonable. -Shikamaru agreed. -And how are you planning to do it?

-There are several possibilities for a shinobi to leave the village. -he answered seriously.

-Please don't say ANBU. -the Nara added, foreseeing what would follow.

Neji nodded to show that his deduction had been correct.

-That is one of the possibilities. It was my first choice in a moment, but not anymore.

-What changed? -the taller ninja questioned carefully.

Neji closed his eyes before the memories that came to his mind.

-After the fight with Naruto during the chunin exams, I understood that it's okay to try to change your destiny, but not if you lose your soul by doing it.

The Hyuga let pass a few seconds of silence, which Shikamaru did not interrupt. He knew that the cunning ninja was studying his expressions with attention. He finally continued, choosing each word carefully:

-I've meet ANBU members in the lats years. They all look… empty. They have no mercy for anyone and just follow orders, no matter how inhumane they are. -he made a pause. -I want to get away from my clan, but not at the expense of becoming someone as despicable as them.

-Glad to hear that. -the Nara said, with evident relief. -What are the other chances?

Neji took a moment before answering. He had never talk about his plans with anyone. Not even with his teammates or his sensei. He knew they would try to convince him of staying in the village, so he never brought the subject up. But Shikamaru was directly asking him, and he didn't seemed like someone who would judge him. On one hand, because Neji had not judged him for being a slacker with no ambitions. On the other, because he seemed to understand his motivation. Maybe he could understand his choice too.

-There are two ways: -he explained. -be transferred to a support troop in another village, or be assigned to Land of Fire's border guard.

The Nara nodded but made no judgment.

-The problem is, -Neji continued. -both of this options need the recommendation from a superior. I have to keep getting better and accumulating successful missions until someone notice me.

-I see. -the Nara finally said, with his constant relaxed tone. -Anything is better than ABNU, that's for sure. But you would just be putting geographic distance between and your clan. Isn't that, and excuse me for asking this, -he made a pause and gave the Hyuga a side glance. -a temporary solution?

-Explain yourself. -Neji answered firmly, not so sure of wanting to have that conversation anymore.

Shikamaru returned his vague gaze to the road.

-I mean, even if the distance between your clan and the cursed seal were too much to be able to activate it, they could still request you anytime they want. Is not that what that old jackass said?

Neji contemplated the road too. It was true, and he already knew it.

-If I'm far away and they don't see me much, they will probably leave me alone for some time. My uncle won't always be able to protect me. They have rights above me, after all. It's terrible to say it, but,... -he blinked slowly. -they will keep entertained with the other Branch House members that stay here.

Shikamaru made a guttural sound that meant he understand. No trail of accusation was reflected on his face. He toughth for a moment, and finally dared to said:

-So it's not a solution. It's a delay.

Neji didn't understand how he could say something that sounded so offensive, with such a relaxed and peaceful air.

-When a group of maniacs have the switch that can make your brain explode, you know that someday, they will most probably use it. -he spoke to the lazy ninja with a convinced and steady voice. -Gaining time it's the best I can do.

Shikamaru went silent for some seconds, while he considered what he had just heard.

-That sucks. -he concluded. After a long moment, he shook his head and repeated: -That really sucks.

Neji shrugged.

-Some people are born in bad families.

The Nara nodded resigned.

-And the world is full of lunatics. -he added, using a frase Shikamaru had said in the cabin while talking about his books.

The taller ninja finally smiled at that.

-Damn true.

Luckily that lightened the mood. They walked in comfortable silence for a while, until the tiny village of Fukanzen appeared before them.

-We're almost there. -the Nara announced. -You've never been in this place, and it's pretty different from Konoha. Maybe I should tell you a few things about it, so you'll be prepared.

Neji opened his eyes in surprise, not expecting for warnings.

-Okay. -he accepted.

Shikamaru nodded and began:

-The first thing you need to know is that this place is as old as Konoha. It was formed in the same period. When the first Hokage started gathering clans to conform the village, not all those who wanted to be part were accepted. The fight between big clans had left many families incomplete. Some had lost almost all their members. Konoha didn't admit the most fragmented clans, affirming it'd be a source of instability. So this rejected people gathered in this location and started a little community. They called the town Fukanzen couse it literally means "incomplete".

The Hyuga was astonished. They had learned about Konoha's history in the Academy, but this was completely new for him.

-I had no idea. -he admitted. -How it's possible that people don't know this?

-It isn't a very honorable anecdote for a village. -Shikamaru explained. -But it's not really hidden information. The library books tell that story. It's just not taught at the Academy.

-So, -Neji asked, yet confused. -the villagers are not uncivilized thieves?

The Nara shook his head slowly.

-Noup. That's just the official versión, so people will stay away from there and never find out the true. The only reason why Konoha allowed this broken clans to stay was cause they quickly started producing very special herbs for medicine. To this day, both cities still trade.

Neji couldn't hide his shock.

-I can't believe that there are things about Konoha's history that its inhabitants do not know. -he said.

The Nara exhaled, clearly amused.

-And there's a lot more. You'd be surprised.

-But if almost nobody knows about this place, how is that you do? -the Hyuga questioned with great curiosity.

Shikamaru blinked slowly and replied with a neutral tone, very difficult to interpret:

-My mother's clan had contact with this place for it's herbs. I used to came here with my old man to purchase some. The village is very small. Almost everybody knows my family. You'll see that soon.

They were just about 50 meters from the entrance. It hadn't big walls like Konoha, only a modest fence that surrounded the houses.

-Anyway, -the Nara resumed. -the thing is they don't have a chief or a ruler, like we have the Hokage and the council. Being the population very small, they just discuss important matters in big assemblies. Old people with more knowledge have the most important voices, but anyone can speak. It's very cool. I just thought you should know that. That way you won't be so shocked by their behaving. They act pretty much like a huge family.

Neji nodded showing he understanded. They finally crossed the village's entrance.

The place looked really small. The houses were modest, but pretty. There were no tall or prominent buildings. All constructions showed the same importance as the others. The children played on the dirt streets, sneaking between adult's legs, who worked and talked with good humor.

Both Konoha ninjas walked quietly for a while, until some faces recognized they were not locals. Neji prepared himself to be questioned, but the scream of a child dissipated his concentration.

-Shikamaru-kun!

It was a girl, of about nine years old, that run joyfully towards them. At hearing her, many other childs and some adults turned around, and greeted as well:

-Shikamaru-Kun!

-Hey, Shikamaru!

-Boy, long time no see!

Soon they were surrounded by many kids who jumped and waved excitedly.

-Hey, you little devils! -the Nara saluted them, ruffling with affection the hair of one of the girls. -Stop growing up so fast.

-Well look who has finally came back. -a strong voice rang behind the kids screams. It belonged to a tall, fat man with a thick black beard, that held a big and welcoming smile.

The children gave him space and he approached the newcomers.

-Daichi. -Shikamaru greeted with a smile.

-Good to see you, kiddo! -the huge man said while he slapped his enormous hand to the Nara's back. -You haven't come for a few months.

-Yeah, you know. Work and stuff. -the boy answered friendly. -How's everything?

-Oh, just as always. -Daichi said. -Have you come for some  _Shiso_?

Neji didn't know what  _Shiso_ was, but he imagined it should be the medicinal herb.

-Yep. My mom wants 800 grams of it. -Shikamaru responded.

-You're lucky then. We just lifted the last harvest. -the man said proudly. -I'll make someone prepare it for you. But first you have to visit Isamu. She will be thrilled when she sees you!

Slowly Daichi began directing Shikamaru. Neji didn't know whether to follow them. Suddenly, a girl's voice called his attention.

-Your eyes are very pretty! -she exclaimed as she watched him in wonder.

-Oh, -the Hyuga answered shyly. -Thank you.

At hearing him, Shikamaru turned around, remembering he had not came alone.

-Right! Sorry. -he said while approaching to Neji again. -Daichi, this is Hyuga, Neji, a comrade from Konoha.

The tall man looked at the unfamiliar ninja as if seeing him for the first time.

-Sorry, boy. I didn't see you there. Wait. Hyuga, you said? -he asked Shikamaru. -Wow, you have some important comrades.

Shikamaru shook his head.

-Relax. He is a Branched House member. -the Nara explained.

Daichi's face became compassionate.

-I see. In that case, I'm very sorry. -he said giving Neji a slightly pity look. -And welcome. Here we accept the oppressed. I knew you would never be friends with a Main House asshole. -he added, smiling to Shikamaru. -No offense. -he aggregated, speaking to Neji.

-It's all right. -the Hyuga answered. He exchanged stares with Shikamaru, who looked extremely comfortable with the talk.

-Well, let's take you kids to see Isamu  _okāsan_! -the man repeated with enthusiasm, and pushed both boys through the village's streets.

They stopped at a modest building that looked like a restaurant. Daichi crossed the open door, and Neji took the moment to whisper Shikamaru:

-Isamu  _okāsan_?

-Yes, she's like  _Fukanzen_ mother. Takes care of everyone. You'll like her.

He crossed the door's threshold as if he had already done it many times, and the Hyuga followed him. Inside, a mix of many delicious smells floated in the air. There were some tables with people eating, and loud cooking noises that came from the kitchen.

 _-Okāsan_! Guess who I just ran into! -Daichi screamed over the pan's tinkling.

-It better not be that fisher merchant again! -the strong voice of a woman reached them very clearly over the noise. -I'm not buying  _guindara_ for that amount. -she appeared through the fabric door that separated the kitchen. She was a robust middle age lady with a very round face. She had her brown hair tied and covered with a net, and wore a stained apron. -He was out of his... -she cut herself when she saw the two boys standing by the door. -Bless my eyes! Little Shikamaru! -a big brightening smile appeared in her face, and she walked fast to meet them.

-You sweet scamp, I haven't seen you in a while! -she exclaimed standing in front of them. She brought her stubby hands to Shikamaru's face and squeezed his cheeks. -You're turning so good looking! Your mother must be very proud.

-Hi,  _Okāsan_. -the Nara answered with a little embarrassment between the stained palms. -Good to see you.

-Be careful, Isamu. -Daichi warned. -You're gonna squash his visage.

-As if I could do any damage to this stone face. -the woman replied while removing her hands. Then she noticed Neji. -And who is this handsome young man? -she asked with a smile.

 _-Okāsan_ , this is Neji. -Shikamaru announced. -He's a fellow shinobi from Konoha.

The Hyuga bowed respectfully.

-It is very nice to meet you, madam. -he saluted.

-Oh, very respectful! -she said flattered. -I like him. You should learn from your friend's manners, boy. -she winked at the Nara, who rolled his eyes but without being offended. -I imagine you kids are staying for dinner.

The two ninjas exchanged looks.

-I don't know. -Shikamaru started. -We don't want to return to the village too late.

-Rubbish! -Daichi intervened. -You can stay in one of Takahiro's guesthouse rooms for the night. No one use them anyway.

-I'm not sure. -the Nara looked at Neji. -What do you think? -he asked.

-Well,... -the older ninja begun. He didn't want to be rude.

-Please, it'll be wonderful! -Isamu begged. -You will eat until you brust.

-Yes! -Daichi added. -We'll have a party in honor of your visit!

Shikamaru smiled wide at that, and looked at Neji again.

-What do you say? -he asked innocently.

That was it. He had to answer, cause the three person that surrounded him were expecting it. Both adults contemplated him with hopeful eyes.

-It will be a pleasure. -he finally agreed.

Isamu was delighted. She immediately started shouting orders to the people who were still working in the kitchen. They agreed to return at nightfall, and headed outside behind Daichi so he could give them the medicinal herbs.

For the rest of the afternoon they stayed with the man in the harvest fields. Shikamaru pointed out to Neji what was grown in each lot and what was it used for. There was no doubt Fukanzen produced a wide variety of medicines. During the whole time, the Nara and Daichi talked nonchalantly.

-And how's your father? -the huge man asked.

Shikamaru clicked his tongue.

-You know. Same as always. -he answered.

Daichi nodded in comprehension.

-Don't worry, kiddo. He's a strong man. He'll recover sooner or later.-the giant replied reassuringly. That drew the Hyuga's attention, who told himself he should ask about the subject later. -You should've seen this scoundrel when he used to came with his father as a child. -the man continued, talking to Neji now. -Always above that clumsy deer. Do you still have it?

-Suimin? -Shikamaru asked with an affectionate smile. -Of course. My father always brought him with us so he wouldn't have to carry me. He's pretty big now.

-He was a tiny hornless fawn back then. I remember he always ate the restaurant's garbage and Isamu wanted to kill him. -Daichi evoked with joy.

The Nara boy laughed.

-Yes, he still does that with any garbage he founds.

When night came they returned to the restaurant, and found that the tables had been taken outside and decorated with modest colored tablecloths. Paper chandeliers hung from several stakes that surrounded the sector, and there were many people chatting and drinking.

As soon as they sat down, Isamu appeared with a tray of drinks.

-Take one, kids! -the woman said energetically.

Shikamaru reached for two glasses and gave one to Neji.

-Does it have alcohol? -the Hyuga asked. He never drank, not for a personal issue, he just didn't liked the flavor.

-Of course! -Daichi scream. -It wouldn't be a party if it hadn't.

Shikamaru laughed relaxedly.

-Don't worry, it's very soft. And very sweet, too. They make it with fresh fruits they harvest right here. Give it a sip.

Neji did, so as not to despise his hosts. And he got a surprise: it was delicious, and very dulcet. Alcohol was not even perceived. The pulp was so tasty that he licked his lips.

-It's very good. -he said, before the expectant look of the two adults.

Throughout the night the two foreigners were the center of attention. Everyone seemed to know Shikamaru very well, and they asked him constant questions about his missions. It was evident that he used to amuse them with his anecdotes. Without making himself begged, the boy told funny stories he had lived with his team. Everyone laughed. The food was certainly exquisite. Neji felt new flavors that he liked a lot. He continued to drink one glass after another in tandem with Shikamaru. The beverages were so sweet and tasty that he couldn't have enough.

Hours passed happily. People were so kind that the Hyuga could not help feeling like at home. Or even better.

He giggled without shame about the villagers comments on the Nara's adventures, not noticing the alcohol was making effect on him.

-Your friend is so mannerly and correct, Shikamaru! -said a young woman who worked in Isamu's kitchen. -You should bring him every time!

The few children who had not yet fallen asleep in their parents' laps shouted excitedly at that.

-Thank you very much to all for being so welcoming. -Neji replied with a shyly grin.

His words unleashed an avalanche of compliments about how respectful he was. Shikamaru looked at him in the eyes and gave him a wide smile.

-Looks like you're having a good time. -he told the Hyuga when the villagers stopped observing them for a moment.

-I am. -Neji answered honestly. -And you were right: this people are very nice.

-I'm glad you don't regret having come. -the Nara told him.

-Not at all. -was the Hyugas answer.

At that moment Isamu came back with the tray of drinks. She herself had her face red from drinking so much, and was laughing loudly like everyone else.

Again Shikamaru reached for two glasses and looked at his companion.

-I know you've had many already, but are you in for one more? -the boy asked him.

Neji noticed that the Nara was also flushed by alcohol, and he wondered if he would look the same. The great work that cost him to pronounce the following words told him he must be a little drunk.

-I shouldn't... -he began. -But what the heck. -he finally said accepting the drink, not recognizing himself at all.

When he grabbed the glass, his fingers lightly brushed the other ninja's, sending a wave of heat through Neji's entire body. He told himself it must be the alcohol's effect, and continued drinking. The night was warm, the atmosphere pleasant, and his mind was too cloudy to worry about anything.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shikamaru's POV**

The party ended when all the food and drinks ran out. At that point there were people sleeping on the tables, that relatives and friends were trying to wake up and take home. Shikamaru's mind was a pleasant gelatinous mass hindered by alcohol. When he realized people were beginning to retire, he stopped listening to the blacksmith's boring story, who had been talking for minutes, and he turned in his seat to check on Neji.

The Hyuga was reclined on the backrest of his chair with his eyes closed and apparently asleep. Shikamaru gave him a soft bump with his elbow.

-Hyuga. -he called. -Wake up.

Neji took a long breathe.

-I am awake. -he answered.

-Good. Then open your eyes. -the Nara replied.

Slowly, the older ninja did. He parted his thick lashes and uncover his huge lilac eyes. Shikamaru noticed they were brightening, and that they looked more pink than usual. He got lost observing them as Neji assimilated his surroundings again.

-Oh. -the Hyuga finally said, looking dizzy. -I remember why I closed my eyes. Everything is spinning.

Shikamaru laughed at that and answered, relaxed as always:

-Yeah, let's call it a night. -he put a hand on Neji's chair to stabilize himself and stood up.

At that moment, Daichi approached to them between hiccups.

-Takahiro gave me this for you. It's from room 3. I hope it's clean.

Without further ado, he said good night and walked away, staggering.

-Okay, party boy. Let's get going. -Shikamaru said with a friendly mood.

Neji complained with a snarl but prepared to get up. With a bit of difficulty he managed to stand on his legs, although he swayed a bit.

-Is this being drunk? -the Hyuga asked frowning in confusion. -Why do people like this?

-Good question. -the Nara answered. -This way.

The made a couple of steps in the guesthouse direction, expecting Neji would follow him. The older ninja tried, but was having trouble walking straight.

-Need help there? -Shikamaru asked, smiling at the funny image.

-I got it. -Neji assured, pretending to maintain his dignity.

They walked very slowly along the dark path.

-How long will this last? -the Hyuga asked, putting his hands on both sides of his head to stabilize his vision.

-It depends on how much you've drunk. -The Nara responded calmly. -You'll be fine by morning. -Neji growled again. -It's a real honour to be the first person that sees you wasted.

Neji closed his eyes and smile.

-Mmhmm. I am sure you are enjoying it. -he lowered his hands and turned his face, giving his companion a scrutinizing look. -Are you not drunk?

-Not as much as you. -the Nara gloated.

After passing only a few houses, they reached the guesthouse. Shikamaru led them through the backyard to the small rooms. They stopped at the one that had a number 3 painted in japanese at the door. The Nara used the key to opened it and they entered.

It was a single large room, with a low table at one end, and a single large futon at the other. There was a tatami door that would surely lead to the bathroom, and a second one that headed to a little balcony.

Shikamaru looked for his lighter in his pocket and lit a candle lamp. Neji stepped on the center of the room, but didn't seemed like he was paying attention to it. He just stood there staggering with a faint smile. The Nara decided some air would do him good, and went to the balcony. He slipped the tatami door and stepped outside.

The small platform was at ground level, but it allowed to see the green harvest fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. The brightness of the moon in the center of the clear sky illuminated everything.

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets and felt the breeze on his face. A few seconds later Neji appeared at his side.

The Nara silently watched him approach one of the corners of the railing and lean there. The stars were reflected in his large violet pupils.

-It was a nice day. -the Hyuga finally said, strolling his gaze through the silver fields. -This people cherish you a lot.

-Yeah, they're the best. -Shikamaru agreed, while he watched mesmerized how the wind waved Neji's chocolate hair. That brought to his memory some of his recent dreams, where he tangled the boy's thick mane in his wrist to handle him.

He shouldn't be thinking about those thing at that moment. Less under the influence of alcohol. His self control surely was way weaker than sober.

He was still struggling with his inconscient, when the Hyuga spoke again, no turning around yet.

-What? -he simply asked.

Shikamaru thought he had missed something.

-What what? -he retorted.

Neji finally looked at him.

-You are staring at me. -he said seriously.

The Nara found himself helpless and without pretext before the fixed gaze of those cloudy eyes. He threw the first words he managed to put together.

-I am? -he started clumsily. -Sorry. I was just checking you wouldn't fall from the balcony.

Neji laughed and lowered his gaze.

-I bet you'd like that. -he replied. -You must be sick of seeing me already.

Shikamaru walked to the other extreme of the railing.

-Why would I? -he asked, watching Neji with a bored air. Inside, his body was already reacting at the privacy of the moment.

Neji shrugged.

-Lately you see me almost every day. Soon you will even dream with me.

It was a joke, of course. He said it with a light giggle. But Shikamaru's brain betrayed him. It ordered him to speak the words before evaluating what they could trigger.

-Wouldn't be the first time. -he said. Immediately after he bit his tongue, but it was too late.

The Hyuga rose an eyebrow and considered the sentence for some seconds. It seemed like his own brain was working slower too.

-You have dreamed with me? -he asked, as if it was the most improbable thing ever.

Shikamaru scratched his head, trying to hide his sudden nerves.

-Yeah, maybe, a couple of times. -he said. He turned around and put his hands on the railing, trying to focus his stare on the harvest fields.

-That's funny. -Neji said smiling and watching the sky. Surely he imagined they had been absurd and crazy dreams like the ones people usually had. -What did you dream about?

-Aamm... -Shikamaru hesitated. He felt his palms were starting to sweat. -I... don't remember.

He wished with all his strength the conversation would end there. He needed to change the subject, but his mind was blank.

-Please! -the Hyuga said rolling his eyes. He was taking the topic very lightly. -As if there was anything you couldn't remember. -His face was still red from the drinks, which gave him a completely different appearance from his usual measured expresion. -Tell me.

Many seconds passed in which there was no response. Neji turned his face to look at him, and Shikamaru did the same. In his mind his voice shouted orders that passed unnoticed: "Lie! Just make up something! Anything! But speak!"

He shook his head stunned and stammered, as he turned his gaze back to the yards:

-Really, I don't remember.

"Nice. Very convincing", he told himself. He wanted to slap his face with his palm.

Neji giggled again, but the Nara didn't turned to look at him. He couldn't meet his stare again.

-Right. -the older ninja continued. -I thought you were a better liar. -As Shikamaru didn't responded, he crossed his arms and added: -I think you just don't want to tell me.

Words, words, words. Where the hell were they?! He could be so eloquent when he applied himself, why wasn't it working now? He pressed his fingers to the railing, panicking.

At the persistent silence, the Hyuga tried to joked it out of him.

-Come on, dreams are dreams. I wont be mad. -he said friendly. -Unless they have been wet dreams.

He laughed at this last comment, but Shikamaru went as still as iron and opened his eyes in shock. This was not happening to him.

Judging by the silence Neji had undoubtedly notice it, and the Nara could imagine how the smile disappeared from his face. He felt his breathing stir, and he clung tighter to the railing.

**Neji's POV**

He went speechless at the Nara's expression. Based on his reaction, Neji had guessed. He had just be fooling around, expecting a ridiculous story of a crazy dream. Due to his alcoholic state, it took him a few moments to process the information.

-Did you have wet dreams with me? -he asked slowly, in a low tone.

But once more Shikamaru didn't answered. He just frowned, and clenched his fists on the balcony railing.

Neji felt his heart racing. The realization unleashed unexpected sensations on him.

Knowing that the Nara had once had lustful feelings towards him was one thing, but finding out that his desire was so great that it had gotten into his dreams left him breathless. He felt his skin bristle. He walked a step toward the taller ninja.

-Did you? -he asked again, perceiving his breathing became difficult.

Again, no answer. He made another step. They were just a couple of meters away.

-Tell me. -he tried one last time, now talking decisively.

Shikamaru finally moved. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, frowning deeper. He took a long breath, hold it for some seconds, and opened his mouth to say:

-Yes.

The affirmation rumbled in Neji's ears. He felt his cheeks blushing. Heat was rising in his body. He made another step.

-Tell them to me. -he demanded.

Shikamaru compressed his face even more. He was clearly embarrassed. He pressed his lips as if forcing himself to remain silent. He wasn't going to speak. But Neji needed to know.

-Fine. -he said, dragging his voice. He got another step closer. -Then tell me this: did you turn on? -Shikamaru lower his head, incapable of making eye contact. He was obviously suffering, but the Hyuga couldn't stop himself. After a few seconds, he reformulated the question: -Did you get hard?

-Shit, Neji. -the Nara begged and clenched his teeth.

Those words said it all. Neji knew he had got excited by his dreams with him. The image of the lazy ninja half naked in his bed, hot and aroused, thinking about him, made the Hyuga shudder. He licked his lips, trying to control himself. He got closer until there was almost no distance between them, and asked, panting slightly:

-Did you jerk off to me?

Shikamaru blush intensely. His jaw trembled, and he parted his lips to let out a hard breath between his teeth. His fists went pale from clutching the railing so tightly.

Neji exhaled delighted. The Nara's expression was so arousing that the Hyuga couldn't stand his silence anymore. He lifted one hand and placed it gently against Shikamaru's face. The younger ninja startled a little at the suden contact, but Neji didn't stop. He took him by the chin and slowly turned his face to look at him. The Nara didn't resist it, but kept his eyes closed.

-Tell me. -Neji demanded softly again.

**Shikamaru's POV**

He knew his whole body was shaking. He had never been more embarrassed in his life. He was conscious of the fact that he had blush evidently, and that the Hyuga had his stare fixed on him, and was waiting for an answer. The light touch of the other ninja's fingers in his chin was burning his skin.

He couldn't move to run away, he couldn't speak to deny it, and he couldn't think to made something up. He was cornered. Long seconds passed, painful and slow, until he accepted he couldn't hide behind his lids anymore.

After taking a deep breath from his nose, he opened his eyes.

He immediately met Neji's stare, and saw something he didn't expect at all. The Hyuga was clearly agitated, and as blushed as he must be. Shikamaru could see his pale white chest going up and down, and his long chocolate hair being move by his hard breathing. But the most striking thing were the enormous cloudy eyes that glowed brightly, more pink than ever, and seemed to be spinning in a swirl of desire.

The Nara stopped frowning, and raised his eyebrows in surprise for a second. There was only one explanation: he liked it. He liked to know Shikamaru had been aroused with him. There was no way he was reading the signals wrongly again. The Hyuga's excited look confirmed it. An the thought of it made his body burst into fire.

He narrowed his stare at Neji's thin lips, which seemed slightly wet, as if he had licked them recently. The Nara felt the sudden impulse of slide his tongue along the Hyuga's appetizing mouth. Faster than he would've thought possible, he felt his self control trembling. But the older ninja looked pretty much on the edge of losing it too. He had asked him if he had jerk off to him. And he was going to fucking tell him.

He straightened and turned until they were facing each other. Neji let his hand fall next to his body, and waited. When he spoke, the Nara's voice came out hoarse and deep.

-Yes. -he said firmly. The smaller ninja couldn't help to release an exhalation that made Shikamaru's senses vibrate.

That was it. He had already discovered himself, so there was no point in trying to deny it. And Neji's reaction encouraged him. He decided to go forward with it. After a long pause, he stated in a provoking tone:

-And I came harder than ever in my life.

That made the Hyuga's eyes went wide, and an almost inaudible sound escaped from his lips. Shikamaru felt his length getting stiff, and his body boiling from the intense craving.

They held each other stare, feeling the evident attraction. The lilac clouds on Neji's eyes swirled in a violent typhoon, hypnotizing him. They both were breathing hard now.

Shikamaru got a few inches closer, until he felt the other ninja's respiration against his face. He wanted to unleash the Hyuga's obvious repressed feelings.

-And do you know what I think? -the Nara rustled. Neji didn't answered, and just kept watching him. -I think you like that I did it.

The Hyuga closed his eyes frowning and diverted his head a little. That was all Shikamaru needed to know he was right. And that caused him such a pleasant sensation that he felt drunk again, but not because of alcohol this time. Despite knowing that if he made contact with the shinobi he would lost control, he closed the little distanced that was left between them and placed his lips over Neji's ear, slightly stroking it.

-Sshhh. -he hissed, trying to made the Hyuga's frown disappear. He felt him shiver at the sensation of his breath. Then he raised one hand and placed it in the the smaller ninja's pale chin, as he had done with him moments before. He softly drove his face back until they were looking at each other again. Their noses brushed a little, and the contact made Neji opened his eyes. Shikamaru just wanted to lose himself in those agitated pupils.

-Don't overthink it. -he whispered in a tone charged of desire, and then simply approached until his lips meet the other's.

Neji released a surprised sound against his mouth, but didn't push him away nor closed his eyes. The Nara held his turbulent stare, and pressed a little more. He felt the Hyuga's fingers slightly grabbing the fabric of his pants at the height of his thighs and took it as a signal to move forward. He slid his hand through the livid face and stuck his fingers in the thick hair, to clutch the back of the boy's neck. He grabbed it delicately, and opened his mouth to slowly pass his tongue along the thin lips, as he had done in the cabin.

Neji allowed it, and fisted Shikamaru's trousers with both hands, scratching his skin with his nails through the black fabric. The mild pain made the Nara's exhale with a brief sound, and the older ninja narrowed his eyes in delight. He dug his fingers even more, and Shikamaru repeated the exciting cry, louder. Apparently the Hyuga liked it, because he parted his lips and meet the taller ninja's tongue with his.

He was expecting an undecided kiss, but it was completely the opposite. The slippery and wet muscle invaded his mouth with determination, and so strongly that it almost made him go back a step. Knowing that the Hyuga wanted him too made his blood burn inside his veins. He completely accepted he had no way of turning back anymore, and embraced it.

He crashed his body against the smaller one and put one hand to Neji's hip, while stroking his thin nape with the other. The impact forced the Hyuga to free his black pants, and he started rising his palms along Shikamaru's chest. The Nara suddenly thought he had too much clothes on, because he wanted to feel Neji's soft hands against his skin. And he did, when the boy's anxious fingers made their way through his shirt's neck and reached his collar.

The sensation sent electricity to all his extremities, and his brain jolted. He lowered his hand from the Hyuga's nape to his shoulder blades, and pressed their bodies harder. His already throbbing erection met Neji's also stiff member, and they both groaned into the kiss.

Shikamaru rolled his hips to scrub their lengths together, pulling a delicious sound out of the Hyuga's mouth. He let the older ninja take a breathe, before sticking his tongue into the wet cavern again. The heat between them was rising fast. The Nara moved forward and forced Neji to walk backwards, until they crossed the balcony door and went back inside the room.

They broke the kiss but Shikamaru couldn't stop himself. He traced the Hyuga's jaw with his lips and then attacked the delicate neck. Neji fisted his green vest, like he needed to hold on to something to not collapse. When the Nara bit the junction of his neck and shoulder, he moaned loudly at the pleasant pain. It had to be the most wonderful sound that ever existed.

-This shouldn't... feel... this good... -Neji panted.

Shikamaru rose his mouth to the Hyuga's ear again, and answered with a hungry voice:

-But it does. -he slid his tongue through the boy's helix, and Neji groaned again. -Damn, Neji. I want you so fucking much.

-Gods. -the Hyuga exclaimed, clinging even tighter to the boy's uniform and shutting his eyes.

-Tell me you don't want this. -Shikamaru said, while kissing his way back through Neji's jaw.

When they were face to face again, the pale ninja opened his eyes and their lustful stares connected once more.

-Tell me. -the Nara demanded, like Neji had done to him.

-Nngh. -was the Hyugas answer. He shook his head trying to accommodate his turbulent thoughts. -I… -he attempt to continue, but ended up lowering his gaze. -I don't know. -he finally said, clenching his teeth.

Shikamaru was fascinated by the incredible image of the always stoic ninja, agitated and aroused between his arms. To know that he was the cause of the blush that was growing on Neji's pale cheeks filled him with desire. He couldn't stand the weight of his clothes anymore.

-Well,... -the Nara started slowly, while he let go the other ninja and moved back a little. He lifted one of his hands and place it on his vest zipper. -Let's find out. -he said, starting to lower the metal pull tab.

Neji parted his lips and inhaled in surprise, but didn't stop him. He just stood there, watching the Nara's hand as he finished opening the zipper. Once he did, he tilted his shoulders back and let the vest fall to the floor behind him. Very slowly, he grabbed the edge of his black T-shirt and pulled gently on it, taking it off over his head. With extreme parsimony he dropped it too.

Underneath he only had his net shirt. Neji's lusty gaze nailed so hard into his chest that he almost felt it on his skin. The Hyuga was breathing hard, and he even seemed to be shaking a little for trying so hard to contain himself. It encouraged Shikamaru, who grabbed the translucent fabric of his shirt and took it off the same way he had done with the black one.

**Neji's POV**

He watched the Nara's fibrous body tense up as he removed the last layer of shirts. The candle light projected defined shadows in the muscles of his chest and stomach. Neji could see the marked beginning of the boy's pelvis above the line of his pants, and through the black fabric he detected the silhouette of his hard erection.

The image of Shikamaru's half naked figure made his own shaft shiver violently. The taller ninja noticed it, and after letting himself be watch for some moments, he crossed the little distance between them again. He lightly rubbed the edge of his nose against Neji's face, once, and again, and again. The Hyuga sensed the scent of his bare skin, and felt his nape's hair bristle at the contact. They were barely touching, but it was enough to make him completely lost his mind. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to feel that impertinent body against his.

-So,... -Shikamaru whispered to his mouth. -What do you want?

Neji just couldn't hold it anymore. He raised his hands to the Nara's shoulders and grabbed him strongly, to immediately pull from him and smash their lips together.

The usually lazy ninja reacted instantly, turning into a wild beast thirsty of desire. He surrounded the Hyuga's hips with his arms and press their bodies, making their lengths meet again. The fierce dance of tongues restarted, while Neji's hands traveled to the other's neck and squeezed energetically. They kissed passionately, until Shikamaru's caresses at his sides made his white blouse slide down. Without thinking it, the older ninja ripped his top, and strongly crashed his body covered with training bandages against the Nara's again.

Blinded with lust, he took his hands to Shikamaru's pants and unzipped them. The Nara helped him remove it, along with his underwear, but without breaking the kiss. Now the younger boy was completely naked in front of him, and that made his heart beat even faster. When the heat became unbearable, Neji pushed Shikamaru violently, making him fall on the futon.

The Nara looked at him bewildered, but relaxed at seeing Neji's excited expression. The Hyuga took a few moments to admire the sculpted figure of the other ninja under the light of the candle. His hard member was dripping abundantly.

Narrowing his eyes on Shikamaru's, he slowly started unleashing his bandages. Then he removed his own pants and underwear. The Nara was watching him like he was the most attractive person he had ever seen. And Neji loved it. He let himself be admired by those black pupils full of desire. He stepped over the futon, determined to take the reins of the situation. But he couldn't, because Shikamaru grabbed him tightly by the wrist and threw him on the mattress. The Hyuga fell on his side, but felt strong arms turning him face up.

Quickly the Nara settled over him and began to kiss his neck, supporting himself with his elbows. Neji moaned audibly and buried his nails in the firm shoulder blades. Shikamaru groaned at the feeling, and settled himself between the Hyuga's legs. Their soaked erections pressed under the weight of the bigger body. The younger ninja started rolling his hips up and down, filling them both with pleasure with each rub of their shafts. He kept this movement for several minutes, making the boy below him moaned louder and louder.

Neji thought he couldn't get more aroused, when one of Shikamaru's hands slipped between their stomachs and grasped both erections. He squeezed hard but without hurting them, and began to move his wrist with a slow and steady cadence. The Hyuga moaned again, and looked for the other ninja's mouth. Shikamaru noticed it and brought his face closer to kiss him again, no stopping the movement of his hand. Their lengths were so wet that the thin skin that covered them was sliding deliciously into the Nara's fist.

Neji felt he was approaching the edge, and once again, Shikamaru noticed. So he sped up the rhythm of his hand, and thrust his tongue deeper into the Hyuga's mouth.

-Ngh, Shikamaru... Ah! -the older ninja screamed against the Nara's lips, and shook violently while reaching the powerful orgasm. The expression on his face and the sudden sensation of hot liquid in his hand, made Shikamaru come with a groan too. Both bodies relaxed, and their minds clouded. After that moment, everything vanished into shadows.


	8. Chapter 8

Neji's POV

Neji woke up when the morning light touched his face. He tried to open his eyes, but closed them again because of the extreme clarity. He buried his nose in the soft surface he had been using as a pillow, and growled a little after a throbbing pain exploded in his head.

It was morning already? But he always woke up at dawn. Why was he sleeping?

The warm breeze of the morning blew against the back of his neck. He tried to remember where he was. His mind was cloudy and his memories were confused. He recovered some images of people laughing and screaming, of colored candle lights, and of delicious smells and flavors. In particular, he remembered a very special one. One that tasted of tobacco and alcohol. He felt a hint of that scent mixed with the morning air, and took a deep breathe of it.

That instantaneously triggered another series of memories, each one clearer than the previous. First, the sharp profile of a tall, serious young man clinging to a balcony railing. Second, a raving feeling of adrenaline burning in his chest. And then, his own voice pronouncing words he had never said before.

"-Did you get hard?", -he heard himself saying, with horror. "-Did you jerk off to me?".

Panic took control of him. He couldn't even open his eyes as the images kept assaulting him. The tall boy getting undress before him, the hot tongue wandering his lips and invading his mouth, the weight of the other's body on top of his, pressing on their hot erections.

He felt his cheeks going red again when he remembered reaching the edge by Shikamaru's hand. After that, everything was black.

He couldn't believe it! How could he allowed something like that happen?! It had to have been due to alcohol. The substance had uninhibited him, and his self-control had weakened. His worst mistake had been let Shikamaru saw it, because the sly Nara had immediately act on it, no missing the tiniest chance.

Slowly he began to perceive that the breeze caressing the back of his neck stopped from time to time, and that it repeated itself with strange regularity. He realized it wasn't breeze at all, and understood why he had felt the Nara's perfume in the air. He opened his eyes slowly, fearing what he could find.

The first thing he saw was a long arm stretched under his head. It was the surface where he was burying his nose. He looked to one side and saw that arm's large hand loosely clutching one of his. He swallowed with terror and then looked down, to see another arm resting heavily on his waist.

The next time Shikamaru's deep breath hit his nape, all the hair on Neji's body bristled.

He had to get out of that situation immediately. With one movement, he pushed the other ninja away and stood up, to remember that he was completely naked. He looked around searching for his clothes.

With the sudden move, that almost threw him from the futon, Shikamaru had awaken.

-What's... -he babbled, blinking in confusion, while taking a hand to his head and rubbing his temple.

It seemed that he was taking a long time to remember the situation and understand what was happening as well. Neji watched him for a moment, but he looked away when he saw that the Nara was also completely undressed. Finally he spotted his clothes, and bent down to pick them up.

The movement must have caught Shikamaru's attention, because he turned to look at his side drowsily, as he leaned lazily on his elbows. As he stood up, Neji meet his black eyes, bright with sleep, resting on him but not really processing what they saw. It took him long seconds, but finally the Nara opened his eyes wide, demonstrating that he had just fallen into reality.

They stared at each other in evident horror, until Neji looked away and closed his eyes.

-Holy shit. -he heard Shikamaru said.

-Gods! How could this happen? -Neji exclaimed, talking to himself and not hiding his irritation, while putting on his pants. -This is terrible, how could I be so foolish?

He heard the Nara clear his throat to speak, but he couldn't finish saying the first word before Neji interrupted him abruptly.

-Don't you dare to say a thing! -he screamed, while pointing at him with an accusing finger. Shikamaru fell silent immediately at the nagging. -You did this!

The Nara opened his eyes wide and took a hand to his bare chest.

-Me? -he asked disconcerted. Then he frowned a little and added: -I believe you participated too.

-I was drunk! -Neji defended himself.

-So was I! -Shikamaru retorted.

The Hyuga just closed his eyes and grabbed his head tight, turning a little.

-Kami, this can't be happening. -he murmured. He was so ashamed and mad at the same time. With last night drinks, with the other ninja and with himself.

-I think we could very easily blame this on alcohol and not torture ourselves. -the Nara suggested carefully.

-That would be very convenient for you. -Neji answered sharply. -Always not taking the responsibility for anything.

-Auch! -Shikamaru exclaimed. -Where did that came from?

Neji lowered his hands from his head and opened his eyes to fiercely look at the Nara.

-You made this mess and now you want to wash your hands from it, blaming alcohol. -he was so angry he clenched his fists. -Well done. It is a very opportune excuse.

Shikamaru frowned deeper and set on the futon.

-Well done? -he asked trying to held his temper. -What is that supposed to mean?

-I think you know what it means. -the Hyuga simply said.

-No, I don't. -the Nara replied slightly annoyed, while standing up in the soft surface, not remembering he was naked. -Please, tell me.

Neji closed his eyes and looked away at the image of the tall bare body.

-Gods, Nara, get dress! -he exclaimed.

-Damn it. -he heard Shikamaru cursing at the realization of his state, and then crossing the room to grab his clothes.

-How did I let this happen? -Neji asked himself again, looking at the darkness through his close lids.

-Look, let's no go crazy about this. -Shikamaru said somewhere behind him.-It's really not such a big deal.

Not go crazy? Did he not understand what had happened? They had been naked together, they had saw and touched each other. They had intimated. And it was irreversible. How could he not go insane about it?

-Are you kidding me?! Not a big deal?! -Neji repeated, turning around to the Nara again. He had already put his trousers on, and was about to button them. -This is the most embarrassing thing I've done in my life!

The Hyugas voice was trembling from the rage, and his face was red with anger.

Shikamaru startled a little at the explosion. He held up a hand in an attempt to calm things down, like touching Neji's wrath and settling it.

-Hey, calm down. -he said reassuringly, trying to make his voice as relaxed as possible. -No one knows about this but us. And no one will find out. Let's just take it easy.

Neji narrowed his eyes. Seeing the younger boy pretending to hold his sense irritated him even more, because he was completely panicking.

-You bastard. How can you be so calm? -he spat. -Is because you knew this would happen? When did you came up with this? When Hayato appeared?

The Nara's expression went hard as a stone and his ebony eyes shone with warning.

-What? -he asked in a flat, deadly, but calmed tone.

-It was then, wasn't it? You saw the chance and took it. -Neji continued. -You probably even foreseed the party, and that I would get drunk easily.

Shikamaru's gaze became much more intense. It seemed that the accusation hurt him personally. He stopped trying to stay calm.

-Really, that crap again?! -he said deeply offended, and made a step towards Neji. -I didn't planed any of this. Get that in your head. Just, tell me you dislike me or something, but don't give me that shit!

Neji held his stare but say nothing. He noticed the Nara's disheveled hair hanging irregularly out of his ponytail, and thought he should look tousled too. The taller ninja's voice sounded again, though less hard.

-Besides, you started everything with your stupid questions about my dreams.

-I...! -Neji intended to replied, but there was nothing he could say. It was true.

-Yeah, so don't throw all the responsibility on me. Take your part. -Shikamaru concluded seriously.

There was no answer for that. The Hyuga lowered his head and closed his eyes again. Yes, he couldn't blame it all on the other ninja completely. He knew what he had felt in those past moments. But he was supposed to subdue those sensations and use his reason. Why had he fail?

-Kami, this is so weird. -he finally murmured.

-I know. -he heard Shikamaru agreeding.

-Do you? -Naji responded getting annoyed again. He raised his head and opened his eyes. -Because you are taking this pretty lightly. I doubt you are struggling with this at all.

Shikamaru tilted his weight back and gave an offended expression again.

-Right. Cause I'm not screaming and accusing you of something, I'm not freaking out. -he mocked. -Do you think I'm not confused too? -he put on a bewildered expression. -As far as I know, I'm straight, okay? Don't know about you, but all this was completely unexpected to me. I mean, this have been the craziest week of my life!

Neji felt a little self-conscious when he heard the Nara talk about his sexuality. He didn't want to touch the subject. He knew he could not allowed himself to even consider it.

-Gods, I need to get out of here. -he said , and try to put his white blouse back, but discovered that his entire abdomen was covered in the remains of a sticky liquid. When he realized what it was, he blushed and made a face of disgust, exclaiming: -Kami! -Then he rushed to the bathroom.

When he saw himself in the mirror, he discovered that his hair was matted, and that the lilac of his eyes was very diluted. His face showed clear weariness. He opened the lavatory faucet and put his hands under the current to wash his face. Then, he began to rinse the sticky substance from his stomach.

He heard Shikamaru move in the other room through the open door. He wanted to immediately return to Konoha, but he didn't want to go all the way back with the other ninja. It would be too awkward. And he wanted to quickly put the greatest possible distance between them.

After drying himself he put on his blouse, and straightened his Haiti-ate, which miraculously had not fallen at any time. Then he fixed his hair and returned to the room, looking at the floor so as not to make eye contact. He set out to pick up his bandages from the ground and roll them to storage them.

-This never happened. -he said in a serious voice, putting the bandages in his pocket. -We will never mention this again.

He heard movement behind him, and then the heavy and dragged voice of the other boy:

-That's what we agreed the first time, and it didn't work.

-Then make it work. -he turned around to look at the Nata with a determined expression. -This stops here.

The tall boy had already put on his uniform again, and was finishing tying his ponytail. He lowered his hands, looking at Neji in a indecipherable way, and then he just nodded.

Without another word the Hyuga quickly left the room. As he was walking down the dirt road, he heard Shikamaru lock the door of the guest room various meters behind him. He didn't even consider stopping to wait for the guy.

When he turned in a corner to walk to the village's exit, he unexpectedly ran into Daichi.

-Good morning! -the thick-bearded man saluted. -What a party we had last night! You boys certainly slept a lot.

-Daichi-sama. You have all been very welcoming, but it's time to go back. -Neji answered quickly, at the moment the Nara boy reached them.

-Oh! -Daichi exclaimed disappointed. -Won't you boys even stay for a quick breakfast?

-Daichi. -Shikamaru saluted. -That's sounds nice. -he replied, but caught Neji's deadly side glance. -But we really got to get going. Say bye to Okāsan for me.

The big adult put a large hand on the Nara's shoulder.

-Of Course. It's been great having you. Give my regards to your parents.

-I will. -Shikamaru answered , after which both ninjas took the way home.

They walked in silence and without looking at each other during the hole trip. Neji stared seriously at the horizon and walked calmly but quickly, to reach his destination as fast as possible. He kept a grave expression to imply that he didn't want to talk. The morning sun filtered warmly through the leaves of the trees that covered them, just like the day before.

When the entry of Konoha appeared into the distance, the Hyuga decided to end the silence and definitely clarify things:

-My uncle must be back already. -he said, still looking forward. -I will return home today, and we will keep our distance. Thank you for your help, but now let's let things go back to be how they were before this last week.

From the corner of his eyes Neji could see Shikamaru walking with his hands in his pockets and his look lost.

-Right. -he agreed with a flat tone. -Hope you're not still mad at me.

-What do you think? -the Hyuga retorted sharply.

-Hey, I'm angry with myself too. -the Nara added. -That's enough punishment. Can't you go back to be indifferent at me again instead of hating me?

Neji didn't answer the question. He just frowned and changed the subject.

-You can't tell anyone about this.

Shikamaru shrugged besides him.

-I don't intend to. -he replied.

-I mean it. -Neji added harshly.

-Me too. -the Nara insisted. -Why would I tell anyone?

-You can't even tell Ino or Choji. -the Hyuga pressed.

-I won't, okay? I don't talk about those thing with them. Will you relax? -he put a hand to Neji's forearm to detain him. The older ninja refuse the contact, but stopped, and looked at the taler boy with distrust. -C'mon. I swear no one will found out.

Neji hesitated for a moment, and then asked:

-What about Temari?

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and shook his head confused.

-What about her? -he questioned.

-I thought you two were dating. -he explained.

The Nara exhaled a surprised laugh.

-We're not. -he said.

-That is not what Ino is always saying. -Neji continued calmly.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

-Ino says a lot of crap. She wants us to go out. Doesn't means we do. -he affirmed.

The Hyuga studied the other ninja's expression for a few seconds.

-So you have never been with her?

The Nara became slightly uncomfortable, and murmured, looking at the ground:

-We've had some... encounters. -he coughed awkwardly. -But that's it. -Neji looked at him skeptically, so he added. -It's true. She was very clear about not wanting to tie herself to anyone. And at any case, why do you care?

The Hyuga threw his head back in surprise, and resumed his walk, waving his hair as he turned his back on Shikamaru.

-I don't. -he answered. -I just didn't want to be an accomplice of an infidelity.

-You got a very bad concept of me, I see. -the Nara said walking behind him.

As soon as they crossed the entrance to Konoha, they separated. Neji went without thinking to the Hyuga clan's domains, praying that his uncle would be back. At home he only found his cousins, and stayed with them, helping cooking lunch. When they were finishing eating, Hiashi appeared in the dining room.

-Otousan! -Hanabi screamed, and ran towards her father. -You are back!

-I am, little one. -the man replied hugging his child. Then he approached to Hinata to kiss her cheek, and bowed his head slightly to Neji, who returned the gesture.

-I won't be staying for long, I am afraid. -he said, while sitting at the low table. -This Hisao problem is much more complicated than it seemed. There could be many reputable people involved, so we must handle it with caution.

Neji and Hinata exchanged stares, but said nothing.

-How have things been here? -the adult asked, watching both of them.

-Hanabi and I have been perfectly, father. -Hinata answered calmly.

-And what about you, Neji? -he questioned looking at the older boy. -Did you have any problems with Main House members?

-No, uncle. -Neji replied. -A companion has been letting me stay in the Nara forest. I have not had any inconvenience.

At this last comment, Hiashi frowned.

-What companion? -he asked seriously.

The young ninja didn't expect that question, but answered immediately.

-His name is Nara Shikamaru. We studied together at the Academy.

His uncle straightened before continuing.

-That is the boy with the high IQ, isn't he? -he made a pause and added. -Nara Shikaku's son.

-Yes. -Neji confirmed, confused by his uncle's expression.

-Have you been staying at his house? -the man enquired.

-No. -Neji explained. -He lent me an unused storage cabin.

Hisashi thought for a few moments, and then ordered his daughters to clear the table. When they left the room, he turned his gaze to his nephew and spoke to him with great gravity.

-Listen to me very carefully, Neji. The Nara forest is probably the safest place in Konoha, so it is a good thing that you can stay there. But Nara's are not trustworthy people. They are very intelligent and very skilled at distorting the truth. And Shikaku is the worst of them. You must be very prudent with that clan.

The young Hyuga held his uncle's stare while he prevented him. He had no knowledge that Hisahi didn't trust the Naras, nor that he had any particular business with Shikamaru's father. But he would never dare question the man, so he just nodded.

-I need you to tell me that you understand this, and that you will be cautious. -the older Hyuga added.

-I do, uncle, and I will. -Neji assured.

-Good. -Hisashi said, standing up. -I have to go prepare some things. I'll leave again before nightfall.

Neji just sat there for a few moments, thinking about what he had just heard. What did his uncle mean by saying that the Naras were not trustworthy? He knew that they were ingenious when it came to planning strategies, and that they could use manipulation in those contexts, as Shikamaru did. But apparently the fame they had of liars exceeded those scenarios. Maybe it was that widespread reputation that made the lazy ninja feel so hurt when Neji accused him of manipulating the situations.

What Neji did know was that he was not ready to see him again. They had just lived a very confusing night, and honestly he preferred to forget that it had happened. He decided that the best thing would be to try to find another place to stay.

After taking a shower and preparing a backpack with clothes in case he didn't return in a long time, he greeted his family and left the house, determined to find Tenten. Maybe she could have him in her house at least for a couple of days.

He looked for her in the training camps and around the Hokage mansion, but finally found her outside a store, looking through the stained glass window.

-Hey! Where have you been? -she asked when she saw him, putting her hands on her hips. -You completely disappeared after morning training yesterday.

-I know. Something come up. Listen... -he started, not knowing how to go on. He knew that to ask her for lodging would mean have to explain his current situation. -Could I stay at your house for a couple of days? I promise not to be a nuisance.

She looked at him surprised.

-What's wrong with your house? -she asked.

-Nothing. -Neji answered. -It just that my uncle it's leaving the village tonight, and... Well, I do not want to be in the Hyugas grounds without his protection. Main House members can be quite irksome.

-I heard your uncle had already left several days ago. For the Hisao's issue, right? -she said.

Damn her. How did she knew? She had probably talked with Hinata, he thought.

-Yes, he did. -Neji retorted, keeping his attitude calm. -But he came back today, and he is leaving again at nightfall.

-And what's the problem? Have you not been staying at your home all this time?

The Hyuga really didn't want to touch that topic. If his teammate found out where he had been spending the nights, he would never heard the end of it.

-No. -he simply said, expecting that she would drop the subject.

But of course, she wasn't going to do that. The kunoichi raised her eyebrows and questioned him curiously.

-Where have you been staying, then?

For a few moments Neji just looked at her with a blank expression. He didn't know what pretexte to invent, so he finally accepted that confessing would be the fastest way to proceed. He turned his gaze aside and said in a low voice:

-In the Nara forest.

After a prolonged silence, Tenten responded, and the Hyuga didn't even need to look at her to know she was smiling broadly.

-Oh, really?

Neji rolled his eyes, foreseeing what would follow.

-Please, Tenten. -he begged.

-What? I haven't said anything yet. So, did you sleep at Shikamaru's room? -she said while winking at him.

-No. -Neji assured firmly. -He borrowed me a storage cabin. And don't wink at me.

-All right, all right. But tell me this. -she continued with a mischievous smile. -Why can't you stay there anymore?

The Hyuga immediately regretted asking his teammate for that favor. Now she would not stop insinuating things to him.

-I can. -he answered. -I just don't want to.

-And why don't you? -she pressed.

-I just don't. -he established seriously.

Tenten studied his face for a few moments with concentration, until a huge smile appeared on her face.

-Oh Kami, something happened! -she screamed thrilled.

Neji startled and felt his heart quicken at the possibility of being discovered.

-Of course not! -he replied.

But Tenten wasn't buying it. She giggled and shook her head.

-I don't believe you. -she said with satisfaction.

-Please, not this again. -the Hyuga implored, trying to hide his awkwardness.

-Did you guys keep flirting? -she interrogated him, but Neji didn't respond. -C'mon, you can tell me. Did you kiss?

The ninja blushed suddenly and avoid making eye contact.

-You did! -the girl shouted.

-Shut up! -Neji ordered, looking at her. -And no, we didn't.

But she wasn't convinced at all.

-Oh, please. I can totally see it in your face. This is so exciting!

The Hyuga wanted the earth to swallow him. He covered his face with his palms, completely embarrassed.

-Just stop. -he bagged, and that was all the confirmation his friend needed to clap her hands enthusiastically.

-I can't believe this. This is so cute! -she exclaimed.

-It's not! -he replied looking at her again, exhausted.

She gave him a happy grin, when something caught her attention behind him.

-Oh-oh. -she said amused. -Look who's coming.

Neji turned his head, and saw Shikamaru and Choji walking down the street. It seemed like they had not seen them yet. The Hyuga returned his stare to Tenten to whisper between his teeth:

-Don't-call-them.

But she smiled wickedly, and raised a hand to attract the boys' gaze.

-Hey, guys! Over here! -she screamed.

Neji heard with fear the steps of the two ninjas approaching them.

-Hello. -Choji's voice saluted.

-Hi, Choji. -Tenten greeted, blushing slightly. The Hyuga didn't miss it, and thought it was odd. -Shikamaru. -she added.

-Sup? -the Nara voice sounded behind him.

Neji turned around, but didn't salute them nor looked at them.

-Oh, nothing, we were just chatting. -Tenten said carelessly. -What are you guys doing?

-We are running an errand for my mom. -Choji answered, and the Hyuga saw he was carrying many groceries in his hands.

-Wow, that's a lot of food. -the girl commented.

-Yes. -the chubby ninja agreed smiling. -My mom cooks a lot.

-Well, it takes a lot of food to feed a strong ninja like you. -the kunoichi added, blushing again.

The newcomers exchanged a glance, and Shikamaru briefly raised his eyebrows.

-I... guess... -Choji said a little embarrassed.

After a short awkward silence, the Nara cleared his throat.

-We should get going. -he said.

Both boys were about to retire, when Tenten stopped them.

-Wait! Actually, Shikamaru, Neji wanted to ask you something.

The lazy ninja looked at Neji with his characteristic bored expression.

-No, I didn't. -the Hyuga said, and gave her friend a deadly glance.

-Yes, you did! -she continued. -His uncle is leaving Konoha again, so he was wondering if you could let him crash in the Nara forest again.

Neji would have hit her. But instead he remained stiff as iron.

-Sure. -Shikamaru said shrugging.

The Hyuga was about to reject the offer, when a strange sound interrupted the conversation. It seemed like the cry of a large animal.

The four ninjas turned to see a huge deer appear behind a store. He stood there observing them and moving his ears.

-Oh, not today. -Shikamaru complained.

-What's wrong? -Tenten asked confused.

The Nara shook his head and exhaled resigned.

-That's the signal for me to go pick up my father from the bar. -he said. -It's not even dark yet, and he must be wasted already.

Choji gave him a compassionate look.

-Do you want me to help you? -he asked.

-Nah, it's fine. -Shikamaru replied. -But I better go now. See you around. -he started walking away, but turned his head to give a final look at them, and said addressing to Neji: -Use the cabin whenever you want.

-Thank you. -the Hyuga answered, although the boy was already too far away to hear him.

After saying goodbye, Choji left as well. Neji gave his teammate a furious look, but she returned a huge smile of satisfaction.


	9. Chapter 9

**Neji's POV**

During the next hour, Neji had to endure Tenten constant and anxious questions. They had sat on a bench at the side of the central road, far enough from the circulation of people to not be heard.

-Come on! You have to tell me at least how you kissed! -the kunoichi kept insisting.

-No. -Neji responded, noticeably annoyed.

-Please, please, please, pleaseeee. I need to know! Was it, like, a little kiss, or did you seriously make out?

Neji turned his face a little so that his partner couldn't see the faint hint of blush that appeared on his cheeks. He huffed exasperated but didn'ot answer.

-It's not fair! I'm so intrigued ... Then at least tell me ... -his friend leaned closer to him on the bench, and whispered: -Did you boys do the nasty already?

That brought to his mind the messy memories of the previous night, and his heart skipped a beat. He felt the heat of his face increase, and an uncontrollable sense of shame flooding him.

-Tenten! -he shouted, feeling cornered and judged and pressured.

-What? It's okay, you know I won't tell anyone, you can trust me. What do you say? Yes? -she replied, putting her hands together and imploring.

-No! And cut it out! -he crossed his arms, trying to look severe. -I really don't want to have this conversation.

The kunoichi put on a disappointed face, but stopped instigating. For a few moments Neji believed that she would finally leave him alone, but only a few seconds later she showed him that it wouldn't be so simple.

-Fine. You won't give me any details. -she said. -But at least I know things happened. And you can't deny that!

The Hyuga grabbed his head with both hands and shook it.

-Kami, why are you doing this to me? -he asked exhausted.

-I don't understand why you are taking this so badly. -Tenten said. -It's not a big deal. So you like each other, what's the problem?

-We don't! -Neji lowered his hands and stood up. -I don't know why you are so excited about this, but it will never happen again. So just drop it. -He walked a few steps and looked towards the Hyuga domains. -It's too dangerous.

He heard his friend stand up too and approach to him.

-Dangerous? Why? -she questioned him. -Because of your clan?

-Of course, because of my clan. -he replied as if it was the most obvious thing.

-But you can't deprive yourself of this just for them! -the girl insisted.

-"Just for them"? -he turned around and looked at her. -You don't see they could kill me for this, do you?

She went blank at that. She thought for a few seconds, and then asked suspiciously:

-Could them?

Neji exhaled exasperated.

-Yes. -he answered, and turned around again.

But his friend was not willing to give up. She surrounded him and looked at him imploringly.

-But you can't miss this chance for those guys!

The Hyuga watched her like she was crazy.

-This chance of what? -he said.

Tenten shrugged and put on a tender expression.

-Of being happy. -she answered.

Neji was silent for a few seconds with wide eyes, not believing what his friend was saying.

-You think this will give me happiness? -he shook his head. -That is ridiculous. The only thing that would make me happy would be not having this mark in my forehead.

-Right, that would be wonderful, of course. -she conceived. -But you could at least take this opportunity to have a little fun. -she smiled innocently.

Neji just shook his head again and diverted his eyes.

-I have no problem with having fun, but I'm not going to risk having my brain melt. -he replied decisively.

Tenten let a few moments pass, and then she retorted:

-Fine. But I bet that's what you told yourself every time something happened between you, and you didn't stop anyway.

Neji frowned. Damn intuitive girl. It was true. Every time he saw Shikamaru he told himself not to be too nice, and not to get too close. But he always ended up doing both.

-Am I right? -his teammate asked smiling openly.

-Gods, just stop. -he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

-Don't get anguish. -she tried to comfort him. -If that happens then it means there's something really intense between you two. You shouldn't have to contain yourself.

-It doesn't mean anything! -he shouted opening his lids. -And for the last time, Tenten, there is nothing between us! I don't understand what happens when we are together, but it's not okay. Now, could you please let me stay in your house?

His friend finally resigned and left the subject. But her response was not encouraging.

-I'm sorry, Neji. But my mom is fostering three wounded goats. The guest room is full with floor paper and mountains of excrement. Even if I wanted to have you at home and not send you to the forest, we have no space.

-I don't mind. -the Hyuga insisted. -I can stand that.

Tenten laughed.

-I know you can. But my mom would never let me invite friends with the house so disgusting. Which is pretty much always when your mother is a vet.

Neji narrowed his eyes. He would have to go back to the forest that night, if he didn't want to meet any Main House member. Would Shikamaru stay away from the cabin? Apparently he would have to trust that he would.

-It's starting to get dark. -the kunoichi said. -I should get going, and so should you. -she winked at him.

-You are really enjoying this. -Neji told her, irritated.

-I am. -she admitted giggling, and started walking away. -Good luck! Tomorrow you tell me everything!

The Hyuga watched her go away waving at him. The sky was beginning to darken. By the time he reach the forest, there would be very little light left. After finally accepting that he had no escape, he began to walk slowly towards the Nara terrains, begging Shikamaru wouldn't cross his path.

It took him approximately 20 minutes to arrive, but it felt like an eternity. He entered the forest by the same access he had always used, and took the road to the cabin. The light of the stars and the half moon allowed him to see quite clearly. He didn't even try to activate his Byakugan, knowing it wouldn't work. He had forgotten to ask Shikamaru the reason for that. He preferred to die without knowing it, so as not to meet the ninja again.

He arrived at the small wooden building, and was relieved to see that there was no light coming from the window. He went to the door and put a hand on the doorknob, but stopped short at a sudden strange sensation.

It was as if he was sensing someone's chakras, but in a very dissipated way. He couldn't determine who they belonged to, but also how far they were, or how much power they had. And he could only guess that they came from people. It had never happened to him before, and he wondered if it could be an effect of the forest. That place was beginning to seem very strange to him.

Suddenly he heard the sound of bushes moving and footsteps treading the grass not far from him. What would happen if they were some Nara and they found him there? Should he hide in the cabin? Should he get out of the forest?

He was debating this when a muffled scream of pain reached him. His heart froze when he thought he recognized the voice. Was it Shikamaru?

A sharp thud sounded next, as if something had hit a tree. Was a fight happening?

He decided to find out and started walking slowly towards the sounds. It seemed like they were very close.

He stopped when he reached a small clearing, and waited among the bushes, watching. A few seconds later, the figure of a young man walking backwards entered his field of vision.

Sure enough, it was Shikamaru. He could only see him from behind, but his face was revealed as the boy continued to back away. Neji felt a chill as he realized the Nara's nose was bleeding.

He was about to enter the clearing to assist him, when another person appeared. The Hyuga stifled a breath of astonishment when he realized it was Shikamaru's father. The man was walking clumsily, staggering from one side to the other. His face reflected an uncontrolled fury.

Neji watched as he approached his son with a threatening attitude. Shikamaru raised a hand, evidently trying to calm him down.

-Dad, come on. -the boy said.

But it didn't work. Shikaku crossed the space between them and gave him a push that forced him back several steps. Now the Hyuga could see the young Nara from the front, and his father from behind, who was advancing dangerously.

-Weak! -the man scream, flooding the hole forest with his husky voice. -You have always been so weak! And stupid!

What did that mean? Neji was completely confused.

But while trying to decipher it, he saw Shikaku threw a punch to his son. Luckily this one managed to dodge it, and the man almost loses his balance. While he was trying to stabilize again, Shikamaru looked up, and saw Neji standing in the bushes. Their stares connected in the parcial darkness.

The young Nara's face became extremely pale. He went petrified, while the blood fell from his nose to his chest. At that moment his father managed to recover a little, and threw him another punch.

But he evaded it again. However, Neji was not going to wait for the man to hit his target. Determined, he set out to enter the clearing and intervene. But at seeing this, Shikamaru gave him an alert look, so intense that it made the Hyuga stop instantly.

Neji frowned, questioning the other ninja silently. The young Nara shook his head, almost imperceptibly. His gaze was penetrating, and it expressed a clear order: don't intervene. It will be much worse.

The Hyuga understood that the situation was dangerous. What would happen if Shikaku discovered Neji there, in that state? Would he get even more violent? Would he get more mad with his son? He didn't even understand why the man was so furious.

Finally, he decided that the best thing would be to stay aside. He relaxed his shoulders so that Shikamaru understood that he was not going to act, and the boy thanked him by softening his eyes and lowering his head an inch.

But unfortunately that distraction cost him dearly. The next punch that Shikaku threw, hit directly in his son's mouth.

Shikamaru fell backwards, hitting his back hard against the ground. Neji clenched his fists. He couldn't keep looking without feeling the urgent need to interfere. Luckily, the older Nara was very pleased with the outcome of his last attempt to hurt the boy, and he stopped stalking him to throw his head back and laugh vehemently. He seemed completely crazy and off his axis. Neji thought that his laughter was extremely disturbing, and he wished he would stop.

-So weak. -Shikaku said with contempt while looking at his son lying in the ground.

Then he rubbed his face with the back of his hand, and turned around, staggering away. When the sound of his footsteps was lost in the forest, Neji came out of his hiding and quickly approached Shikamaru.

The young Nara had support himself on one of his elbows, and took a hand to his temple. Surely he had hit his head in the fall. Neji crouched down next to him, and saw that now blood was coming out of his mouth too, because Shikaku's punch had cut his lower lip.

-Are you all right? -the Hyuga asked concerned.

-Been better. -Shikamaru answered with difficulty.

If that was a joke, it wasn't funny. The Hyuga was bewildered from what he had just seen. Nothing could have seemed funny to him at that moment.

-What was that?! -he questioned.

The Nara put his hand to his mouth and touched his lip, then watched his fingers stained with blood. He took a resigned attitude, looking exhausted.

-That was my drunken father. -he replied. -A real prince, right?

Neji shook his head, stunned.

-How can you be joking about this?

Shikamaru closed his eyes tightly, as if a penetrating stitch had just begun to pierce his brain. But still, he answered with his usual relaxed and lazy voice.

-Ain't got many other options.

The Hyuga couldn't even imagine what the behavior of the boy's father was due to. But in any case the most important thing was to attend the young Nara's wounds.

-Come. I'll help you stand up. -he said to the bleeding ninja. He took him from the forearm and assisted him to his feet.

-Thanks. -Shikamaru said once up. He tried to make a few steps, but a dizziness made him stagger. -Shit! -he exclaimed, almost losing his balance.

Neji gripped him tighter and kept him standing.

-Lets go to the cabin. I have some medicinal balm in my backpack.

Slowly, he helped the Nara reach the small shelter. Once inside, while Neji lit the candle lamp, Shikamaru dropped to the ground, leaning his back against the wall.

The Hyuga watched him worried, holding the lighter he had lifted from the ground.

-What happened there? -he asked softly.

The Nara didn't meet his stare. He only reached out to grab a box of cigarettes from the floor, and pulled one out slowly. He put it on his lips, and extended his hand to Neji so he will give him the lighter.

The older ninja came closer and handed it to him. He stood in front of him, waiting.

Shikamaru lit the cigarette, gave it a deep drag, and exhaled the smoke calmly. Only then he replied:

-Just same old story. My father, struggling with his demons. -he let his gaze wander lost.

Neji watched the blood trickle down the ninja's face, and stain the butt of his cigarette.

-Were those demons in your face? -he asked, not knowing what else to say.

Shikamaru breathed out a soft laugh at this.

-Nah. -he said. -I'm pretty sure he doesn't even realize it's me when he does that.

The Hyuga widened his eyes.

-"When he does that"? -he repeated. -How many times have this happen?

The Nara clicked his tongue.

-Who knows… -he closed his eyes and pressed his temple with his free hand. -I've lost count.

-But this is terrible. -Neji exclaimed, trying to keep his voice calm. -Nobody knows about this?

-No. -Shikamaru replied seriously. -And I would appreciate that it keeps that way.

The older ninja didn't answer. He stared at him for a few moments, but the other boy only opened his eyes to look at the void.

Finally, the Hyuga took off his backpack and sat next to the Nara. He opened the zipper and pulled out some tissues first. He was about to start cleaning the blood on the younger ninja's face, but stopped. He chose to give him the tissues so that he could clean himself.

Shikamaru removed his hand from his temple and took what Neji offered him. He dried the blood from his nose and mouth, and also the amount that had drip through his chin and neck. His reglementary green vest had been stained with dark spots.

When he finished he simply left the bloody tissues on the floor, and continued smoking. The Hyuga took advantage of the silence to think. He remembered everything he knew about Shikamaru's father: that he was a recognized ninja and a famous strategist, and that Konoha's authorities were always proud to count him among their shinobis. But he also remembered what the young Nara had told him about the man's resentment towards him because of his intelligence, and Daichi's words sounded in his head. "He'll recover sooner or later". Finally, he decided to ask:

-What happened to your father?

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't know what he meant.

-Daichi-sama said he will recover. -Neji clarified. -What happened to him?

The Nara took another drag of his cigarette, and released the smoke very slowly. As always, he didn't seem uncomfortable with the silence.

-It was long ago. -he finally explained, talking in a very husky and parsimonious tone. -I was six. My father was commanding an S-rank mission. They were in a delicate situation, and apparently there were not many possible strategies. But of the few that he had, he chose one in which four shinobis had to pretend to sacrifice themselves. It was the one that would give the most effective result, but it was also the most dangerous, because if it failed, those four ninjas would die. He convinced his team that no one would be hurt, and they applied his plan. On the march everyone realized that it was not going to end well, but he was very proud of his strategy. So he didn't accept that anyone offered a second option, and insisted that his plan would work. -He went silent for a few moments, twirling his cigarette between his fingers. -But it didn't, and in the end not only those four shinobis died, but also six more. When then other captains asked my father why he had made that decision, he replied that his plan had been perfect, but the ninjas had executed it wrongly. -he made another pause. -I don't know, maybe he was afraid to admit his mistake, because it would imply that he had caused those deaths.

Neji listened carefully, without making a sound. It seemed terrible to him that a man could chose to sacrifice members of his team for a simple matter of pride. But he also knew Shikaku continued to have great prestige. Could it be that nobody knew about that event?

The Hyuga found the answer when Shikamaru continued telling the story:

-Since he became a chunin, Konoha's council has been very proud of my father. They boasted of him before all the other villages, which often offered him well paid jobs so he would strategize for them. But he never took them. And everyone was delighted of having him here. So when this happened, they decided to hide it. The shinobis who had participated in the mission were threatened with losing their ranks, so they kept silent. And my father didn't suffer any punishment. Legal, at least.

-What do you mean? -Neji asked.

Shikamaru took a last drag on his cigarette, and extinguished it by crushing it against the wooden floor.

\- At the beginning he had not changed much, he was only more serious. But with the passing of months he got darker. He began to go frequently to bars, and to drink a lot. I guess he was trying to evade his problems. At that time he only became violent to the point of screaming. But a few years later, it got worse. I don't know why he continues with his alcohol therapy, because it clearly doesn't work. Now, every time he gets drunk, two things can happen: either he faints, which I prefer, or he completely loses it like tonight.

The Hyuga observed Shikamaru's expressionless face with deep sorrow.

-That is awful. -he said.

-Yeah. -the Nara agreed. -But the worst part is that he became so unstable that the council felt it was no longer correct to put him in charge of missions. They granted him an indeterminate license, and only summon him as an advisor in extreme cases. So he has not even worked for years, which gives him a lot of time to wallow in his remorse and drown himself in sake.

-And what about your mother? -Neji questioned. -She does not know about this either?

The Nara slowly shook his head.

-She has had a very bad time dealing with this problem. My father can't handle almost anything, so she always took care of me and of everything. She had even assumed many Nara's responsibilities in his name. Not to mention that she always attends him with incredible tolerance when he gets home wasted. She always says that we must be patient and support him, because he is sick and needs us. If she found out about this, it would destroy her.

-So you just take all his hits? -Neji said incredulously. -How often does this happens?

The Nara boy shrugged.

-It varies, depending on his state. -he answered. -Sometimes it's a couple of times a month, sometimes once a week, or occasionally more. But he doesn't always hit me. Like I said, many times he just fainted, so I can take him home with the shadow possession jutsu.

-I can't believe this. -Neji said after hearing the hole story. -I am really sorry, Shikamaru.

The younger ninja licked his lips, checking the cut.

-Yeah, well. At least you know you're not the only one with family issues. -he replied.

That didn't make him feel better at all. The Hyuga would never have suspected that Shikamaru had been going through such a situation from so many years . He had never shown having any problems, and always acted so relax and carefree.

Neji looked in his backpack again and pulled out the medicinal balm.

-This will help the cut to heal faster. -he said as he opened the lid.

He lifted a bit of the thick cream with his finger, and moved closer to the Nara. With great delicacy, he applied a small amount of the product on the other ninja's lip.

Shikamaru simply closed his eyes and let him do it. The Hyuga felt all his skin bristled with the simple contact of the tip of his finger in the boy's mouth. But he ignored it. When he finished, he got flooded with terrible feelings of anguish and empathy, as it had never happened to him before. He wanted to do something to comfort the Nara, but didn't know what. Almost without noticing, he gently ran the back of his hand down the boy's cheek. For brief moments he did just that, while looking at the wounds in the younger ninja's face.

Then he realized Shikamaru had deeply frowned.

-What's wrong? -Neji asked him, not taking aways his hand.

The Nara let out a hard controlled breath.

-You should stop. -he just said.

The Hyuga cocked his head in question, but the other ninja still had his eyes tightly closed. When he didn't receive an answer, the boy simply lifted one of his hands and took Neji's wrist, to slowly pull it away from his face.

-I wouldn't like you to accuse me of planning this too. -Shikamaru finally explained.

Those words made him feel very regretful.

-I would never do that. -he said in a soft tone, while the Nara let go his wrist.

After a prolonged silence, the wounded ninja asked carefully, never stopping looking straight ahead.

-Would you mind if I stay here tonight? This is where I always go in this situations, so my mom doesn't see me.

-Of course. -Neji answered gently.

Shikamaru leaned his head against the wall, and turned his face to look into his eyes for the first time since they met in the clearing.

-Thanks. -he said with deep sincerity, and smiled faintly.

Neji just smiled back.


	10. Chapter 10

**Shikamaru's POV**

The forest was silent. Inside the storage cabin, two young ninjas were exchanging glances without saying words. Shikamaru thought that now one person knew about the problem with his father. And that person was Neji. Now the Hyuga was aware of something about him that no one else knew. That made him feel somewhat pressured, and it provoked a sense of nakedness and of extreme exposure on him. It was uncomfortable and strange, but at the same time, intimate. He remembered the night of that unfortunate branch member's death in Hisao's hands. The moment when he covered Neji's mouth with his hand and tried to calm the boy's crying. The Hyuga had stuck its huge, terrified eyes on Shikamaru's, as if they were the only thing he could hold on to for not screaming. Although there were other people present, there had been intimacy at that time, too. That look had touched the Nara somewhere deep. He had connected with the other ninja's pain. And the current situation reminded him a bit of that moment. Had Neji connected with his pain? That thought made a nice warmth spread across his chest.

"What the hell I am thinking? May the fall had messed up my brain, please", he told himself. Neji must had consider that they had look at each other for to long, because he averted his eyes.

-Maybe we should check that your father has arrived home okay. -he said.

-Nah. -Shikamaru answered. -The deer will check on him. If he passes out on the way they'll let me know.

-Strange behavior for deer. -Neji commented.

The Nara shrugged.

-They're pretty special deer.- he retorted.

-That reminds me, I wanted to ask you: -the Hyuga started interroguin. -my Byakugan doesn't work in this forest. Why does that happens?

-Right. -the Nara said. Of course, Neji didn't know anything about that place, and he had obviously tried to activated his unique vision. -The Nara forest is not a common forest. It has a big connection with the Naras, and it sort of protect us, in return for taking care of the deer. It knows we don't appreciate being watch, so no ocular jutsu works here.

Neji frowned slightly in disbelief.

-"It knows"? -he repeated.

Shikamaru could understand that it sounded completely crazy.

-Yes. It's weird. But it kind of has a mind of its own. -he explained. -Like a collective consciousness among all the creatures that inhabit it. Trees, shrubs, animals. It's very particular. I bet you can't feel chakras like you usually do neither.

-No. -Neji agreed. -They come to me diluted and diffused.

The Nara nodded.

-Same reason. -he said. -Actually, if someone unwanted enters the Nara forest, the creatures and the vegetation will take care of kicking them out. It's a hell of a show.

-I did not know places like that existed. -the Hyuga confessed.

-Oh, yeah. There're many of them. If you're interested, I have a book about that somewhere here. It's call "Silent minds of nature". Page 263 it's about magic woods or sort.

Neji smiled surprised.

-How can you remember the exact page? -he asked.

Shikamaru shrugged again.

-My memory is pretty detailed. -he said, not giving it much importance.

After a few moments, the Hyuga stood up and began to accommodate the piles of blankets he had been using as a bed.

-You should sleep here. -he stated while he smoothed the surface with his hands. -Your body will recover better from the hits.

-No, you take it. I'm okay here. -the Nara answered.

Neji looked at him like silently saying "Right, I'm sure you do".

-Really. -Shikamaru insisted. -I've sleep in this floor many times, and besides I don't even want to move all the way over there. -He let himself slide slowly along the wall, until he reached the floor. There he settled on his back and closed his eyes. As soon as he did, he realized how exhausted he was. -I'll pass out before you notice.

-If you say so. -the Hyuga accepted.

He got to heard the older ninja finish settling the bed and lay down, but short seconds later he had already sunk in his dreams.

He woke up at morning with a throbbing pain in his spine. It helped him to remember right away that he had slept on the floor, and why. He opened his eyes slowly so as not to be dazzled by the sun's clearness, and inspected the room.

Apparently Neji was already gone. He sat down leaning on one of his hands and took the other to his head. He still felt a little bother due to the fall. With his peripheral vision he caught the presence of a strange object: it was Neji's pot of medicinal balm. He had left it in a visible place, probably for him to use it. Shikamaru remembered the smell of the medicine, along with the Hyuga's fingers touching his lips, and then his small pale hand caressing his cheek. He shook his head at the memory. No matter how good the intention to leave it there for him was, he decided that it would be best not to even get close to the jar.

He got up and put on his pants and sandals, but his green vest was stained with blood. He was going to have to invent some excuse for his mother to wash it. Luckily he had some blouses in the cabin, along with other clothes he had been leaving there. He rummaged in a pile that was over a desk and took a black shirt with long sleeves and low neck that wasn't very tight. He put on it above his Nara clan network shirt. Then he adjusted his ponytail, and left the room.

It was around eight thirty in the morning. He walked slowly towards the Hokage Mansion, thinking that he could stop for a few moments to eat something.

He was about to get decide for that option, when a voice called him from behind.

-Nara, Shikamaru? -it said.

He turned around and saw a senior jounin.

-The Godaime Hokage requests to see you.

Shikamaru made a lazy face.

-This early? -the comment didn't seem funny to the guy. The Nara simply thanked the information and started walking towards Tsunade's office.

When he arrived, he announced himself and waited patiently behind the door to be received. After a few moments, Shizune's voice told him to pass. He slided the tatami door and entered the room.

The Hokage was sitting behind her desk, holding a folder. The first thing she did was notice the wounds on his face.

-What happened to you? -she asked seriously.

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets.

-I got my ass kik on training. -he lied calmly.

Tsunade looked at him reprovingly.

-Language. -she warned, and added: -You should practice harder, Shikamaru. Now, I have a mission for you. -she handed him the document.

The boy stepped forward and took it. He opened it and quickly read the details while Tsunade explained them to him.

-We have detected there is someone trading prohibited seals in Saoritoshi. Do you know where it is? -Shikamaru nodded. It was a very important commercial city just a few hours away from Konoha. People made purchases and exchanges of all kinds there. It wasn't strange that the black market also proliferated. -It's a very delicate situation, due to the nature of the seals.

-Gisei Seals. -Shikamaru commented, while reading the mission request. -They're made to extract people's chakra, but they require a sacrifice. The spell absorbs the victim's life and prevents the chakra from dissipating, allowing it to be stored and used. -the Nara clicked his tongue. -Pretty twisted.

-Exactly. -the Hokage said. -Making these types of stamps is forbidden. For years the controls didn't show records of them. But if there is someone selling them, it means...

-There may be someone performing sacrifices. -Shikamaru concluded.

-Yes. -Tsunade agreed with him. -I need you to go there and find out more about the subject: the names of those who sell them, where they learned the scriptures to make them, and in what places they trade. Try to discover also who is buying them. You'll have to go undercover.

-All right. -the Nara said with little energy. -A regular information gathering mission.

The Godaime nodded.

-Saoritoshi is not close, so it would take you a couple of days. Take all the time you need to get as much data as possible. -she stated. -Take your teammates with you, but also teams five, seven and eight.

-Twelve ninjas for an espionage mission? -Shikamaru asked. -Sounds like a lot.

-I know. -the woman answered. -But since there have not been many missions lately, most of them pass the days lazing around in the village. A little activity will be good for them.

In his mind, the Nara understood that basically she wanted to use him as a nanny so the unoccupied shinobis wouldn't interfere with the daily work.

With a resigned breath, he retired to begin gathering the team.

He walked through Konoha's streets thinking about the shortest route to find all his companions, when a familiar voice caught his attention.

-Nara Shikamaru awake this early? -it said. -I must be having visions.

He turned his head towards the sound, to see a young blonde girl who watched him with an ironic smile.

-Temari. -he greeted, and approached the kunoichi. -What are you doing here?

-Exchanging routine reports about border records. -she answered. -How have you been?

-There hasn't been much work lately, so fine. -he said.

-Classic Shikamaru. -she commented smiling. But then she noticed the cut on the boy's lip, and the bruising on one side of his nose. -What happened to your face?

-Training incident. -he lied automatically. -Sometimes Ino takes it very seriously.

She giggled.

-You keep losing with little girls? Some capitan you are. -she mocked.

-Yeah, well. What about you? How're things going?

-Everything normal. -Temari narrowed her eyes and looked at him mischievously. -What are your plans for today? We could meet later at night to... catch up. -she winked.

-Sounds okay, -the Nara started answering. -but I'm leaving for a mission now. I won't be back for some days. Too bad. -he realized he didn't feel bad about it at all.

She waved her hand to dismiss his words.

-I'm staying for a week. -she said. -We will meet when you get back.

Shikamaru traveled quickly in his mind to that moment in the future, and thought that he would have to invent some good excuse to get away. He didn't want to stop to think why now the idea of being alone with Temari didn't appeal to him in the least.

-Sure, we'll see. -he mumbled. -Well, duty calls. Got to go summon my team. I'll see you around, okay?

They said goodbye and left in opposite directions.

The young Nara decided the shortest way of gathering all his friends was recurring to Shino. He looked for the boy in his house, and explained the situation to him. Then Shikamaru wrote in several papers a note with a meeting place and his name underneath, and asked Shino to make his insects take them to all member of the 4 teams. No doubt Ino wouldn't be happy with the method he had chosen, but that didn't worry him.

The two ninjas sat on a bench on the main road waiting for the others to arrive. Shino didn't ask any questions about the marks on his face, and the Nara silently thanked him. He was a discreet and silent guy, and he liked that about him. He never snooped or asked for explanations, so it wasn't necessary to lie to him.

A few minutes later everyone arrived. Shikamaru stood up and put his hands in his pockets.

-We have a mission. Prepare to spend a few days away. -he said talking to all the presents. -It's and undercover mission, so we won't' use our uniforms nor our badges. Leave your Hitai-ate and get some civilian clothes.

-Wait a second! -Ino shouted, and pointed her finger at him with an alarmed face. -You are wounded! What happened?

Damn troublesome woman. Luckily the Nara had foreseen her reaction and had already planned a good answer strategy.

-I`m not. -he said looking at her boredly. -You must be confuse. Like I was saying, -he continued as if nothing. -leave everything that identifies you as ninjas. I don't want weapons in sight...

-What? Are you kidding me? -Ino replied, approaching to him and pointing at his face. -Your nose is bruised and you have a deep cut in your mouth.

-No, I don't. -he answered, intentionally evading her eyes.

His teammate gave him a look of exasperation.

-I can see them, Shikamaru.

-Maybe you have spots on your corneas. You should get that checked out. -he retorted evasively.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Neji following his words carefully. He probably sensed that everything that would come next would be pure acting. It wasn't going to help much to the impression the Hyuga had of him. But he had no other way out. Neji was about to see his lying skills in action.

-Shikamaru! Stop playing dumb and tell me what happened to you! -Ino demanded.

The boy looked up grumbling and muttered:

-I don't wanna tell you.

-Why not? -she questioned, putting her hands in her hips.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes a little.

-Cause you'll make fun of me. -he said.

Ino narrowed her eyes at this, and seemed to think about what might have happened to his friend that he didn't want to confess to her. After a few seconds, the realization appeared on her face, and she looked at him jeeringly.

-I know... -she started with evident amusement. -You fell asleep standing up and hit your face to the ground, didn't you?!

The Nara didn't respond. He just huffed and grimaced, pretending annoyance.

-HA! -the kunoichi exclaimed leaning her head back. She looked delighted. -I told you a million times that someday it would happen!

Done. He hadn't prounince the words, so theoricaly he hadn't lie. He had just not corrected Ino's supposition. That was one of his favorite technics: give only some clues, and let the interrogator draw its own answers.

-Yeah, yeah, whatever. -Shikamaru finally said to end the conversation. -Anyway, you have an hour to go home and put on regular, discrete clothes. Don't take large backpacks that attract attention. Carry only the indispensable things. We'll meet at Konoha's entrance to leave.

He spoke these words without looking at Neji at any time, but he could feel the boy's eyes nailed to him. He only moved when he sensed the Hyuga retiring with his cousin, and started walking towards his own place to change.

His mother wasn't at home. He knew she had already left for her morning tasks. His father slept deeply in his bed, stinking of alcohol. Shikamaru didn't even stop to look at him. He went straight to his room and pick up a light blue jean only a little ragged and a black t-shirt with short sleeves. He put them on and looked for a discrete bag. He found one, and placed a bunch of protective and camouflage seals on it, just in case.

Finally he took a couple of maps, a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from the top of a shelf, and walked towards the kitchen. He grabbed a few leftovers from the previous night from the refrigerator and left eating and walking slowly.

Everybody returned to the meeting place with regular clothes. Shikamaru tried not to stare much at Neji, who wore a light blue blouse and traditional black pants. Just by looking at him from the corner of his eye, he could conclude that that sky color contrasted deliciously with the Hyuga's dark thick hair. But what caught his attention most was that, although he wasn't wearing his Hitai-ate, he had a black ribbon covering his forehead. The Nara realized he had never seen Neji's cursed seal.

As soon as the whole team was reunited in Konoha's entrance, they set out.

It would take them approximately 5 hours to reach their destination. That meant that on that day they would have few hours of light to make inquiries. The best thing would be to let the first night pass, and start early the next morning. While he considered this and reviewed everything he knew about the city they would visit, his companions chatted nonchalantly.

-Saoritoshi has a great clothes market. -Ino commented illusionate. -They have the most beautiful fabrics.

-I heard there are street artist who make you a rock sculpture of your face at the moment. -Tenten added. -Sounds fun, right, Neji? -she asked his friend.

-Yeah. Maybe they can sculpt a smile on Hyuga's real face. -Kiba said with malice.

Neji just frowned lightly, but ignored him. Shikamaru thought it had been an unnecessary provocation, but it was usual that Kiba messed with everyone, although he had something special against the Hyuga. He felt a certain rivalry towards him because he had always mastered training exercises much faster than him, and in his frustration he usually attacked him with incisive comments. But Neji always responded with a look of indifference, which irritated the Inuzuka even more.

-Shut up you. -Tenten told him.

-I'm just saying, -Kiba continued. -the rock face won't be as hard as his own.

-At least he doesn't smell like a wet rag like you. -the kunoichi spat back.

-Very tough, Hyuga, let a girl defend you. -Kiba pressed.

Akamaru cried and lowered his ears next to him. Apparently he didn't like what his owner was transmitting. Neji didn't flinch.

Tenten was about to retort once more, but the Hyuga stopped her.

-Just ignore him. -he told his friend, and hearing that made Kiba evidently angry.

-Oh, don't I even deserve a direct answer from you, your highness?

"What the hell is wrong with him?", Shikamaru thought, now listening with attention. He knew Kiba was a hot head, but this was too sudden and come from nowhere.

-That is right. -Neji said with a firm voice. -You are not worth it.

That made the younger ninja went red of fury.

-Fuck you, Hyuga! -he started saying, clenching his fists. -I...!

-Cut it off, you two! -Shikamaru interrupted firmly. -I don't want troubles in this trip. Behave.

The rest of the way was quite calm. They talked about what they could find in the city, and about the questions they should ask to gather information. Kiba didn't attack Neji again, but the Nara noticed that from time to time he gave the older boy resentful glances. He wondered what might be going through the Inuzuka's mind.

They stopped shortly before reaching Saoritoshi. Shikamaru ordered that they enter alone or in groups of two, and that they do it at different times. That would make it seem like they didn't know each other. Many people went in and out of the city at all hours, so it wouldn't be difficult to pass unnoticed. Soon it would be dark, so it would be best to find where they would spend the night first. The better strategy was that all them stay in different guest houses, so he commanded that each group or people look for their own room.

Shikamaru entered alone. He decided to take a walk to inspect the city before looking for a place. He still had the last afternoon lights to snoop around a little.

Indeed, Saoritoshi was a commercial city. In addition to the countless stores, there were huge amounts of people selling things on the streets. Men and women of all ages walked from one side to the other screaming to each other. It didn't seem like a place where he would like to live.

When it got dark, the only thing that changed was that the store lights went on. The activity didn't go down at any time. If Shikamaru had known that, he would have ordered start with the investigation that night. Especially when lots of bars began to open. He knew that alcoholics tend to have a loose tongue. He had learned that from Jiraiya: taverns are a juicy source of information. He wished his teammates would realize that too. But immediately after, he wished they wouldn't. He didn't even want to imagine Naruto and Kiba fighting drunk in front of everyone.

Acting distracted, he walked calmly with his hands in his pockets, observing. He studied the different groups of people, and their attitude. If he paid attention, there were many who spoke in a low voice and checked if they were being watched.

There sure was a lot of illegal market running in that place. It wouldn't be so easy to find his bandits. Although an issue involving sacrifices supposed that they would be cautious. Maybe that busy place was not the best place to look.

He went into a bar and tried to listen to some conversations. Most of them were from people telling what they had managed to buy in the city. And some items were bizarre: spiritual relics, sexual objects, magical talismans, narcotics, weapons, stamps for all kinds of things. A lady had bought an extract of salamander glands to attract men.

Shikamaru was sure that more than half of all that stuff was illegal. How could they sell it quietly on the streets between regular stores? He knew the answer: corruption in controls, for sure.

So in addition to the problem of the guys selling Gisei Seal, he would have to report this situation too. But in the meantime, he surely could find some interesting things to take home with him.

He was observing some curious statuettes carved in wood when a familiar sound caught his attention. It seemed like Kiba's loud laugh. He raised his head to see at the Inuzuka with a glass in his hand trying to get Lee to take a sip, while Neji and Shino told him to stop.

Shikamaru approached walking slowly until he could hear the conservation.

-Lee, don't do it. -Neji was saying, apparently with little patience already.

-C'mon! Just a sip! -Kiba insisted laughing. -It doesn't have alcohol.

-Yes it does. I saw you buying it. -Shino intervened.

-Shut up, Shino! I swear it has nothing, Lee.

-Don't believe him. -Neji stated firmly.

-Do you never let anyone have fun, Hyuga? -the Inuzuka nailed his eyes in the older ninja.

-It is not going to be fun if he drinks. -Neji answered frowning deeply. -Like I told you, he gets out of control. And we are on an undercover mission. Stop behaving like an infant.

That made Kiba burn with anger and he released Lee to come face to face with the Hyuga.

-Oh, because you're much more mature, right? -he asked.

-Than you? Yes, evidently. -Neji replied without backing up one inch.

When it seemed that the Inuzuka was about to go into physical violence, Shikamaru caught up with them.

-What the hell are you doing?! -he rebuked them as low as he could. -Do you want us to get caught?

-Shikamaru! -Lee slimed at him. -Kiba kindly wanted to invite me with drink, but Neji-kun and Shino-kun say it can have alcohol. -he arched his huge eyebrows.

-It can't. -the Hyuga stated. -It has. Don't be naive, Lee.

-Lee can't have alcohol, man. We've been warned about that millions of times. -the Nara said frowning at Kiba. -C'mon, dude, stop fooling around.

Kiba only grumbled and finally left offended, followed by Shino.

-I don't know what's going on with him. -Shikamaru said scratching his head.

-We met them a few moments ago and he started saying that Neji-kun was too stiff and that it made him a too structured ninja. -Lee explained. - So I asked him what was the secret to not being a stiff ninja and he offered me the drink. But Neji-kun believes that it might not be an official technique.

Neji rolled his eyes at Lee's innocence, but didn't say a thing.

-He messed with you again, hum? - Shikamaru asked.

The Hyuga shrugged.

-Yes, but he has always done it. Since the Academy. -he answered.

-Yeah. I don't know why he has it with you. -the Nara said.

Neji made a face showing that he didn't know and didn't care. But Shikamaru told himself he should delve into the matter latter.

Lee spotted a very extravagant shop that sold training suits, and marveled at a pair of spandex-tights. He offered to buy one for Neji, but the boy rejected it politely. They watched him as he ran excitedly to the store.

-No one seems to be taking this job very seriously. -Shikamaru commented.

-It is an exciting city, I guess. -Neji replied. Then he looked at the Nara's face. -How are you?

Shikamaru looked back at him bewildered and discovered that he was staring at his wounds. It was the first time they were alone since the scene with his father.

-All right. -he answered. -Thanks for the balm. -He observed vaguely the people who were still circulating. -Have you found out something?

-Not yet. -Neji replied. -You?

-Nah. Except that this place is the realm of black market. Maybe we should call it a night.

They decided to wait for Lee and go find a guest house. But the boy didn't show up. They went to the store to look for him, but he wasn't there anymore.

-I hope he doesn't get into trouble. -Neji said.

-We'll have to trust his judgment. -the Nara commented.

-Then do not make yourself many illusions. -Neji concluded as they started walking.

They stopped at the first hostel they found, but Shikamaru hesitated before entering.

-I can stay in a different place, if you want. -he said, weighing that perhaps the Hyuga would want to be as far as possible from him, having in mind previous nights they had spent together.

-It is okay. -Neji answered. -We will just ask for two rooms.

But inside, the grumpy and disheveled old man who ruined the guesthouse told them he had only one left.

-Does it have two futons? -Neji asked him.

-Just once, but can make my son put one more. -the man said.

-We will take it, then. -the Hyuga closed the deal.

When a few moments later they were told that the room was ready, both ninjas headed there.

In effect, there were two very modest futons on the floor with a candle in the middle, and a tiny bathroom. That was all. Shikamaru bent down and lit the candle with his lighter, and then did the same with a cigarette. He went to the window and leaned on the frame, smoking and looking out.

-What a busy place. -he said, feeling tired by just looking at all that accelerated people. Being alone with the Hyuga again made him somewhat tense. He felt he had to make conversation until they fell asleep so the situation wouldn't turn uncomfortable. -This is where official kingdom coins were issued originally. Maybe that's why it's still a central point of the trade.

-Why here? -Neji asked.

-There was an azurite mine near this location. First coins were made from that. Then they overexploited it until it ran out, and change to copper.

Neji laughed lightly.

-Do you also know the history of coins? -he teased him.

Shikamaru told himself he should stop throwing stupid data like a snob.

-Yeah. -he said smiling ashamed. -But thanks to that I know that first coins on history were made with children teeth. -and he had just did it again.

-Gross. -Neji exclaimed with a grimace.

-Dead children, relax. -when he realized this last comment had not sounded as expected, he corrected himself: -I mean, children dead of natural causes. I think so, at least.

-Thank you, that is more than I need to know. -Neji stopped him. -Kami, where do you get those things from?

Shikamaru shrugged, as he always did when asked that.

-I don't know, I've just read it somewhere. -he answered.

**Neji's POV**

When the Nara finished his cigarette, he blew out the candle and they both laid on their futons to sleep. Neji turned his back on the other ninja and set on his side, but didn't closed his eyes. He waited for about fifteen minutes for the dream to reach him, but it didn't happen. He was distracted by Shikamaru's slow breathing over the tumult that came from outside. He wondered if he, too, was having trouble sleeping, and decided to activate his Byakugan. To his surprise, the Nara had his eyes wide open and his gaze fixed on the ceiling. His expression was indecipherable, and Neji wondered what could he be thinking.

He watched him for a long time, during which the younger ninja continued the same. He came to think that maybe he had fallen asleep with his eyes open, but he could see him blinking from time to time, so it couldn't be.

Neji studied his sharp face and piercing black eyes. He noticed that he had not untied his hair, and realized he had never seen him without his ponytail.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, Shikamaru started to slowly turn his face to look at the Hyuga's back. His expression remained cryptic, but slowly it began to show other things, although Neji didn't know how to call them or describe them.

Long minutes passed. Without moving a muscle, the Nara began to gaze down Neji's body, from his head to his feet, with such intensity that the Hyuga could almost feel it in his skin.

The boy continued watching him until certain sadness seemed to appear in his eyes. He frowned and quickly looked back at the ceiling.

What had that been?, the older ninja asked himself. Shikamaru remained with his gaze fixed for a another long moment. So long that when Neji fell asleep, he still hadn't closed his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**Neji's POV**

When Neji woke up the next morning, Shikamaru had already gone. He remembered that the Nara had stayed awake for a long time, and wondered if he had managed to get some sleep. Anyway, it was time to work. He got up and left the room. But when he tried to pay for the night, the man who ran the guesthouse told him his friend had already do it.

Neji started perambulate the city, which was very active despite the early hour. He walked among the hundreds of people, searching for some clue of the seals sellers. About two hours passed, but he couldn't find out anything useful. The only thing that caught his attention was a group of old women near him, who were wearing handkerchiefs on their heads and long bulky skirts. Paying more attention to their clothes, he discovered that what made their dresses look so big were a high number of small, strange objects that hung from the fabrics. Each woman must had about 30 of them. Neji thought it was a very peculiar thing, and asked himself if it would be part of some kind of ritual or cultural custom.

He was about to continue his way, when he saw one of those little objects falling to the floor, without the old ladies noticing it. He got closer and picked up the strange thing, with the intention of observing it more carefully and then return it.

It was a small cylinder of polished stone, about the size of half his palm. He saw the heads of four animals carved on it, one on top of the other: the first was a bird, the second a fox, the third a horse and the last one a bear.

Although he didn't know what its meaning was, it seemed like a very nice object to him. It was of a particular emerald color that made it look very delicate.

He was about to go and return it to its owner, when a voice called him from behind.

-Hi, Neji.

The Hyuga turned to check that the person who had spoken was Sakura. But she wasn't alone: at her side he saw Shino, Tenten, and Shikamaru. They must had surely met while looking for information.

-Any luck? -the kunoichi asked him. -We have nothing yet.

-No, -he answered. -I am afraid I haven't discovered anything for now.

-This turned out to be more complicated than it seemed. -Tenten commented.

-Be patient. -Shikamaru said with a bored and tired expression, sticking his hands in his pockets. -Sooner or later something will appear.

Neji noticed that he had deep circles under his eyes, which reaffirmed his theory that the Nara hadn't slept at all the night before. It was to be expected that he was exhausted. He remembered how the boy had observed him for a long time with that expression impossible to read.

Shino, Tenten and Sakura started debating if it would be better to separate again to keep looking. Shikamaru only looked around without much interest. The Hyuga wanted to tell him something, but didn't know what. Then he remembered the statuette he had just lifted from the ground. Maybe he would find it interesting. He crossed the distance between them and extended his hand with the palm up.

The Nara looked at what his teammate was showing him with little enthusiasm at first, but then opened his eyes wide.

-Wow, a Rubit rosary. -he said, while taking it from Neji's hand.

-You know what it is? -the Hyuga asked.

-Well I've never had one in my hands before, but I've seen pictures of it. -the Nara said while examining the object. -It's a religious artefact from a nomadic community that moves near the valleys. These are the four animals they consider as their guardians. Each one has a prayer to ask for protection. -Shikamaru's bored expression had turned into an obvious curiosity. -Good find, Hyuga. -Neji would never admit it, but he felt proud at hearing those words. -Who did you buy it to?

-I did not buy it. -the Hyuga explained. -It fell to one of those ladies. I was about to return it to them.

Shikamaru observed the women Neji had pointed at.

-Mmm... -he murmured. -They seem to have a lot already.

The older ninja raised an eyebrow.

-So what? -he asked.

-I don't know. -the Nara hesitated, squeezing the statuette in his hand. -They don't seem to need it.

-And you need it? -Neji questioned, reading Shikamaru.

-I don't need it, need it. But it's pretty cool, and I'll never see another like this again.

Neji understood that he wanted to keep the extravagant object, probably to add it to his collection.

-You could bought it to them. -he suggested.

The Nara observed the women again.

-It's a ritual statue. They'll never sell it to me. -he said.

-Then you should return it. -Neji stated.

Shikamaru observed the object once more, considering the advice. But he didn't seem very convinced.

-Are you going to steal it? -the Hyuga asked surprised.

-Steal is an ugly word. -the Nara commented. -Lets better say I'll lighten their load.

Neji looked at the boy like he was teasing him.

-That is twisting reality a lot. -he said.

Shikamaru scratched his head, still wondering.

-It IS stealing. You know that, right?. -the Hyuga clarified.

-But I really want it, and I'm sure they won't miss it.-the Nara begged, though Neji just gave him a scolding look. The younger ninja snorted. -Don't look at me like that… I really can't take it? -he added pitifully.

The Hyuga hid a smile at that.

-I can't tell you what to do or what not to do. -he explained. -I am just making sure you know what you would be if you do it: a stealer. If you and your conscience are fine with that, go ahead.

Shikamaru looked at him with narrowed eyes. Then he observed the women and the object several times, considering his two possibilities. Finally he shrugged and said:

-Yeah, I'm fine with that.

He put the statue in his pocket without any trace of remorse.

Neji crossed his arms and shook his head, but he was smiling slightly.

-Hey, -Shikamaru said relaxed and grinning. -Things are ephemeral.

-You are unbelievable. -the Hyuga answered, even though he was smiling wide now.

Shikamaru smiled as well, putting on an expression of embarrassed innocence.

Suddenly, a girl's voice sounded loud behind them.

-We got something!

It was Ino, who came to them running excited, followed by Naruto and Lee. In her hand she carried a small sheet of paper, and she was shaking it without dissimulation.

-We have a clue about the place where the traffickers gather. -she said proudly when they reached the group.

-How did you get it? -Tenten asked enthusiastic.

-With a good elaborated strategy. -the kunoichi answered smiling.

-What strategy? -Naruto interrupted. -I saw you showing your neckline to that drunk guy.

Ino gave him a strong hit with her elbow.

-Shut up! -she said.

-You should have seen it, Tenten! It was amazing! -Lee exclaimed. -She got the information from the man without doing anything!

-Damn, Ino. -Shikamaru said while slapping his face with his palm. -Anyway, at least we found something. Shino, gather the rest outside the city with your bugs. We need to see what we have.

They met with the others in a small clearing on the outskirts of Saoritoshi.

-So who found out something? -Kiba asked grumpily. -Don't say Hyuga, please.

Neji ignored him completely, but caught a glance of Shikamaru when the boy narrowed his eyes in Kiba. Even although his expression remained as bored as ever, his pupils seemed to get sharper.

-Again? -the Nara asked in a dragged voice. -I thought you would sleep that attitude away.

The Inuzuka didn't reply. Shikamaru extended his hand to Ino.

-Let me see that. -he told her.

-I think the guy is like a distributor. -the kunoichi explained, handing him the paper. -He said this was the clue to the meeting place. They will be there today at six o'clock, only for twenty minutes.

Everybody gathered around the Nara to observe. The paper had just some dots drawn in an irregular pattern. It wasn't much.

-Maybe if you count the points the number is clue. -Ino suggested.

-Or maybe if you connect them it makes a name! -Naruto opined with energy.

Neither of those options seemed convincing for Neji. He look at Shikamaru, and saw that the boy was frowning slightly, analyzing the patron. Was it possible that he already knew what it was?

-Doesn't seem likely. -he said, concentrated. -but I've seen this dots before. -After a few moments, he turned the paper around, so the points that were above went down, and vice versa. Then he moved his hand forward to focus on the drawing from further away. -I think it's a constellation.

Neji thought it would it been great if he had bring the sky chart Shikamaru had given him, but when the Nara said they shouldn't carry much luggage, he decided to leave it inside his backpack, in the forest cabin.

-But we can't see the stars now. Will we have to wait until night to read it? -Sakura asked.

Shikamaru shook his head.

-There're like eleven hours left for night yet. -he answered. -We're not wasting all that time.

He inspected the ground looking for something. His eyes stopped at a little stick, and he ducked down to pick it up. He walked a little away from his teammates to have more space and kneeled down, to draw on the ground the pattern that appeared on the paper. But then he began to add more dots around it.

It was like he was reproducing the night sky just from his mind. And Neji realized that that was exactly what he was doing. He made a few steps towards the image the other ninja was creating, almost forgetting that everybody could hear his words.

-The sky chart. -he said. -You have memorized it.

Shikamaru looked at him from over his shoulder.

-Yeah.. -he answered in a dragged murmur, and returned to his task.

-At every hour, of every day, of every month? -the Hyuga insisted, amazed. The Nara just looked at him again and shrugged. -That is impressive

Shikamaru made a awkward face and cleared his throat before continuing with the drawing.

Neji crossed his arms and stood there thinking in the level that the Nara's memory could reach. He had told him is was pretty detailed, and now the Hyuga understood what he had meant. He was considering this things when he felt someone approaching to him from behind.

-It surprises you that there are other people with abilities besides from you, Hyuga? -it was Kiba, who seemed willing to try to provoke him again. -We may not be perfect like you, but we're good ninjas too, you know.

Neji thought the boy was becoming dense already , but he didn't answer. Shikamaru, however, stopped drawing, although he remained with his back to them.

-Stop messing with him, you! -Tenten shouted.

-I'm just saying that if he could get off his pedestal for a few moments he could see that... -the Inuzuka tried to continue, but was interrupted by Shikamaru.

-C'mon, Kiba, stop that already. -he said without turning around yet.

-Do you never defend for yourself, Hyuga? -the dog handler ninja murmured to Neji, although everybody could hear him.

At that the Nara looked at him from over his shoulder.

-I mean it. -he said, trying not to sound very authoritarian.

-Sure. -Kiba finally answered, and turned on his heels, though when he did it he considerably pushed Neji with his shoulder.

The Hyuga recovered the balance without problem and faced him.

-Watch your steps, Inuzuka. -he said harshly.

-Oh, I'm sorry.. -the other ninja replied with sarcasm. -I didn't see ya.

In a second, Shikamaru had stand up and turned around.

-Hey! Cut the crap, man. -he said very firmly this time. So much that the Inuzuka met his eyes. The Nara softened his gaze a little, and asked extending his arms. -What are you doing?

Kiba just muttered something under his breath, and stopped bothering around.

Leaving the subject aside, Shikamaru returned to his drawing. When he finished, he stood up again and examined it, putting his hands in his pockets.

The other members of the team also approached and looked at the points. After a long time, Naruto asked:

-What are we supposed to be seeing here?

-A clue. Anything that tells us where the villains reunite. -Sakura explained to him.

Some members of the team began to throw crazy theories, but none was realistic. Neji watched the Nara's concentrated face. The dark circles in his eyes looked more pronounced, and he was frowning intensely. Long minutes passed but he didn't even move. Meanwhile, the others kept debating.

Slowly, his expression finally relaxed.

-I think I know what it means. -he said. -This constellation is called Dōkutsu Ao, or Blue Cave, cause it looks like a tunnel or something. It's located between the constellation of the Coffer and the Serpent Nebula. On the map of this area, I saw a small location called the Blue Cavern, which is in the middle of Saoritoshi and the river. If Saoritoshi was the Coffer, and the river was the Serpent, the Cave could be the Cavern.

Undoubtedly it was a very elaborate reflection, and it seemed plausible.

-Well done, Shikamaru! -Naruto screamed.

-Yes, -Sakura agreed, an added what everyone was thinking. -We would have never get to that conclusion if you weren't here.

-How far are we from the place? -Shino asked.

-No much. We'll go there and wait for them. -the Nara stated. -In principle, we're just going to hear what they say. We will interfere only if there's no other choice. And let's hope that I'm right with this interpretation.

They arrived at the Blue Cavern around noon. It was a deep tunnel dug into a small rocky elevation of the terrain. The entrance was surrounded by leafy trees that hid it, making it an ideal place to carry out illegal business.

Following Shikamaru's orders, the team placed several microphones on the cave's walls. Then they retired a little from the area to wait for the moment when the tracifants would meet. Some of them sat on the ground and began to chat to pass the time. Neji reclined on a tree, and watched out of the corner of his eye at Shikamaru, who had taken a map from his small backpack and was examining it, standing a few meters away from the group.

-It's the first time we're all the teams together on a mission , right? -Tenten asked.

-Yes! -Naruto exclaimed. -It's like the old days in the Academy!

-The memory fills us with the power of youth! -Lee shouted with passionate eyes.

-Yes., -Sakura said smiling. -With the difference that we are all chūnin now.

-Except for Neji. -Sai added, always attentive to details. -He is a jōnin already.

-That's right! -Tenten agreed looking proudly at his friend, but the boy didn't say anything.

-Of course. -Kiba mumbled. -Hyuga's always one step above all of us.

-Would you stop that? -Ino told him. -It's becoming tiresome.

-I'm just wondering, -the Inuzuka continued, completely ignoring the kunoichi. -why is he coming to a mission with only chūnin if he is so much better than us?

-He never said he was better than us. Leave him alone. -Tenten scolded him.

-He doesn't need to say it. His arrogant stone face speaks for him.

Near them, Shikamaru exhaled in exasperation and lowered the map. He turned his face to look at Kiba with an annoyed expression.

-What? -the Inuzuka asked as if he was the most innocent person in the world.

-I'm starting to get sick of you attitude, man. -the Nara told him with a bored but serious expression.

-Yeah, you're always a pain in the ass, but lately you are surpassing yourself. -Naruto agreed. -If that's possible.

-Shut up, you. -Kiba said grumpily. Neji made the mistake of looking at him for a second, and apparently that simple act made the boy went aggressive. -What? Anything you want to say, your Highness?

The Hyuga just rose an eyebrow, and then went back to ignore him.

-Oh, right. -Kiba said with sarcasm again. -I'm not worth an answer, cause I'm not half as incredible and perfect as the great Hyuga. Why don't you bit me?

-For the last time, cut it. -the Nara said, frowning intensely now. -I'm serious.

-You need to learn some manners. -Tenten commented, looking at the Inuzuka with contempt.

-Do I?

-Yes. -the kunoichi continued. -You're just jealous because Neji is a much better shinobi than you.

This made the boy went red with anger and clench his fists. Next to him, Akamaru cried at the tension.

-Is he? Well let's see that. -the Inuzuka growled, walking decided towards the Hyuga. -Show me how awesome you are. -Neji looked him up and down without flinching, and didn't move. -Fight me!

-Kiba! -Shikamaru shouted, clearly irritated this time. -Drop it or I'll cut you from the mission and send you back to Konoha!

At hearing so much authority in the Nara's voice, which was very unusual, the Inuzuka opened his eyes wide. But short after he waved a hand as if the other was bluffing.

-You can't do that. -he said.

-I can and I will. I'm the fucking captain. -Shikamaru replied with complete seriousness. -So shut the hell up.

The Nara's gaze was so severe that Kiba finally calmed down. Neji silently thanked Ino when she started talking about the beautiful fabrics she had seen in the city to lighten the mood.

When the time was near, Shikamaru distributed chakra camouflage seals just in case, and the whole team climbed to the tops of the trees to be able to observe.

Exactly like Ino had say, at six o'clock two hooded man appeared in the cave's entrance. They were looking around anxiously, and whispered inaudible things. Neji watched their moves closely with the Byakugan. Without noticing it, the characters begun to rise their voices, trusting their were alone. The hidden shinobis caught the end of their conversation:

-We shouldn't do this anymore. -one said.

-Remember the money. -the other replied.

-But this guys are just too twisted, we can't be collaborating with this.

-We have discussed this: the pay is just too good. And we have to sell to them cause no one else will buy this. It's illegal.

-Which it's why we shouldn't do it.

-We need the money or we're getting our heads cut, idiot.

-But this people are inhuman! At first they used prisoners for sacrifice, and now they are using orphans too, because no one claims for them.

-I think they're very close to open the door's lock. When they do, this will end, and we have to gather as much money as possible before that happens.

With a signal from Shikamaru, Shino ordered one of his insects to get under the undecided bandit's hood. Now they will be able to track them down after the reunion.

The two man seemed to hear a sound not far away, and stopped talking. No long after that, a third one came to sight. And luckily this person wasn't hiding it's face. It was a bald, middage man, with a solemn look. The group only share a glare of recognition, and entered the cavern.

Neji and the others heard everything through the headphones, but they didn't get more important information. It was only a transaction. In less than a few minutes, the meeting was over and the three characters had dispersed.

After waiting prudently for a while, Shikamaru gave the order to descend to ground level.

-Bastards! -Naruto yelled clenching his fists. -How can there be people like this?!

-Yes! -Ino agreed, terrorized. -Killing poor orphans? That is just heartless!

Neji remembered the questions Shikamaru had asked him about the Branch House Members being mostly orphans, and inconciently looked at the Nara. The boy must have thought about it too, because he was staring at Neji, a little meditative.

-The sellers seemed like regular people. -Sakura opined. -But the buyer had something strange. And what was that door's lock they mentioned?

Everyone threw their hypotheses.

-I think ... -Shikamaru started, now looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets. The rest of the shinobis went silence immediately. -... they could be referring to the Kin Temple. It's like and old church of an ancient northern clan, that was supposedly made entirely of gold. But the last members of the clan put on a protective spell on it's entrance, that requires very big amounts of chakra to be open. But it's just a myth. And the only people that believe in myths are weird religious guys, which whis bald dude was. He appeared like a monk of some kind. So I think here we have a stupid man, or worship, killing people over a tale.

The whole group was absolutely surprised.

-So they kill lots of people without knowing if they will really find gold there? -Naruto asked indignant.

-They're probably sure they will. -the Nara answered. -Faith it's pretty blind.

Neji knew that there were many atrocities in the world. They happened inside his own clan all the time. But he was surprised at the naturalness with which Shikamaru took it.

-This is so horrible! -Tenten exclaimed.

-Many cities were founded with this kind of moves. -the Nara said. -Sacrificing hundreds of people without family to extract their chakra, or exploiting them making them work for different purposes. It's not new.

-It's still awful. -Ino stated.

-So are we chasing them down or what? -Kiba asked.

-We don't know is there could be more of them. And we are very low on weapons. We must avoid confrontation and get back to Konoha to inform it, and send a more prepared group. -Shikamaru explained. -Although, we could at least see where they go now. Your guys can guide us, right? -he asked Shino.

-Ofcourse. -the boy answered.

-Then we will follow them at a prudent distance using the Byakugans, and try to find out a little more.

Shino released a few small beetles into the air, and the team began to follow them.

-Why the bugs and the Byakugan? -Kiba asked Shikamaru, walking besides him. -Akamaru and I can track them down with our noses.

-You two are great trackers, but this guys had already take a lot of advantage from us, and your noses can't reach them now, specially in an environment so full of smells like this one. -Shikamaru replied honestly.

Neji was looking straight ahead with his Byakugan activated, waiting for the two bandits to appeared in his range of vision, but he saw the glance of rage Kiba threw at him. Shikamaru saw it too, and hastened to appease him:

-Hey, relax. The Byakugan can't reach them either. That's why we are using the bugs.

-Right. -the Inuzuka agreed, softening his glare. But immediately he added in a pretty high voice. -"THE BYAKUGAN CAN'T REACH THEM EITHER". Finally something Hyuga can't do.

-Dude, chill already. -Naruto told him. -You sound like a broken record.

-I just wanted to express that when Hyuga can't do something I can't do, it feels pretty satisfactory. -he said with a malicious grin.

-That is because you blame me for your inferiority complex. -Neji replied acidly, without turning. He have had enough.

But this inflamed the younger ninja.

-I have no inferiority complex! -he shouted.

-Kiba, -Shikamaru said- c'mon.

But the guy ignored him and walked a few steps towards Neji.

-You do! -he screamed pointing at the Hyuga.

-Me? -Neji asked, smiling slightly, and still not turning.

-Yeah, all your hard training it's just to compensate! -the Inuzuka was out of his mind from the anger.

-Compensate for what? -Neji questioned amused, keeping his steady walk.

-For the fact that you know you're just a Main House mascot. -Kiba stated with contempt.

Neji freezed at that, and the same did everyone else.

-Kiba-kun! -Hinata exclaimed.

But her voice went almost completely covered by Shikamaru's.

-HEY! -he shouted so loud that the Inuzuka jolted and turned around to look at him, startled.

Neji had turned too, and he saw the Nara narrowing his eyes and starting to walk menacingly towards Kiba.

-That was highly offensive. -he said in a incredible cold tone.

-I was just... -the Inuzuka babbled, and tried to defend himself- ...joking.

-Maybe the first times you were. -Shikamaru retorted, stopping in front of his friend and meeting his stare with furious eyes. -But now you were just trying to be hurtful.

The accused ninja seemed embarrassed at hearing those words, and he looked at the ground for a few seconds.

-Yeah, -he said. -I may have gone a little too far with the last one.

-You think? -the Nara replied. -Kiba, this is my last warning. Please, I really don't want to sanction you.

-That is not necessary. -Neji said. -I do not care. Let's continue with the mission.

The Inuzuka turned on his heels, red with fury again.

-Oh, that's very noble from you, Hyuga. -he spit.

-Damn, why won't you stop? -Shikamaru said exhausted, rubbing a hand through his face.

-I don't want help from an arrogant sealed asshole like you. -Kiba threw.

-Enough! -the Nara screamed, in the loudest voice Neji had ever heard coming out of him. -Get back to Konoha, now.

Kiba turned fast as light and looked at his captain, disconcerted.

-What?! No! -he begged. -I'll stop!

-You ended with my patience. I warned you many times.

-But, but.. -the other stuttered. -If you cut me out I won't get pay for the mission!

-You should've thought about that before. -Shikamaru answered, passing next to him to resume the walk.

-C'mon, man! Don't to this to me! -the Inuzuka insisted. But his captain ignored him. -No, I won't go. -he crossed his arms.

The Nara stopped instantanly and returned to face his friend.

-If you don't go right now, I won't just cut you out from this mission. -he told Kiba in a deadly voice. -I'll suspend you for a month. How does it sound having to ask money from your mother again? -The Inuzuka didn't know how to respond to that. -Now get the hell out of my face or I'll send you back from a kick in your ass.

Kiba looked confused and frustrated. No doubt he didn't expect his friend to get hard on him. Neji knew the boy had it coming, but still it was strange that someone defended him to such an extent, as Shikamaru had just done. Nobody had seen the Nara speak with such hardness before, so the rest of the team watched in astonishment.

Finally resigned, the Inuzuka clenched his fists and went away grumbling, not without giving Neji a last murderous look before leaving.

With evident tension, the rest of the group returned to their route. The Hyuga studied Shikamaru's face with his Byakugan, as he waited the bandits to appear ahead. The boy seemed meditative for moments, but he had recovered most of his bored expression.

Finally, a small modest construction came to sight. As the team approach to it, the Hyuga cousins were able to distinguish its interior. There were at least seven people inside, and most of them were concentrated in the task of copying a particular inscription into big amounts of seal papers. Neji and Hinata described the details, and Shikamaru put especial attention at the mention of an old book opened over a table. With only that clue, he supposed the bandits must have founded the text in it. He commented there still existed antique books that taught about forbidden spells. But the Byakugan was distinguishing chakra that emanated from almost everyone they could observe inside the small hiding place. And they still didn't know what their jutsus might be, so the Nara gave the order to return the way they had come from.

As the team walked slowly towards their home, chatting about this and that, sunlight began to fade. Soon it would be dark.

Shikamaru walked at the end of the group, with his hands in his pockets and an exhausted face. Neji approached him, and noticed that he could see the boy's eyes bags even under the faint lights of the first stars.

-You didn't have to do that. -the Hyuga said, lowering his head a little.

-Yes I did. -the Nara answered in a sleepy voice. -He was being an idiot.

Neji raised his eyes an inch and looked at the taller ninja.

-Thank you. -he added. -I hope he will not stay mad at you for a long time.

Shikamaru waved a hand at that.

-I'll talk to him later. Don't worry. -he replied.

They walked in silence for a long time, in which Neji reflected on the terrible case they had been investigating. Suddenly, he remembered what the Nara had said about how many cities had been founded using sacrifices. He made sure no one was listening to them, and asked:

-Was Konoha founded with unmerciful acts too?

Shikamaru rose an eyebrow, and give the Hyuga a side glance.

-What makes you think I would know something like that? -was his retort.

-You seem to always know details of that kind. -Neji answered.

The Nara meditated that for a moment, and finally explained:

-Well, yeah. To raise the enormous walls of the village, the orphans of the clans exterminated during the war were used to extract rock and mold it. But the greatest number of victims were people who didn't possess chakra. They did the work with their own bodies, and that was a fatal task.

Neji kept silent. His own village, the one that professed values such as solidarity and union. Once again he was struck by the fact that Nara was aware of these things.

-How is possible that you know this? -he asked.

As he had done before in this situations, Shikamaru just shrugged and said lazily:

-I read it somewhere.

But the Hyuga realized he used this phrase a lot. This time he was not going to settle with so little.

-Where? -he questioned.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see how the taller ninja went suddenly uncomfortable. He scratched his head, and cleared his throat.

-Well, I think... -he begun. -I read it in an archive, or something.

-What archive? -the Hyuga pressed, rising an eyebrow.

-Umm... Konoha's archive.

-You broke into Konoha's archive? -the older boy asked, surprised. -It is confidential.

-No. I got a permission to consult some documents for a mission. -the Nara explained. -And as I was already there, I took the chance to look around. It's not a big deal.

Neji nodded and opened his eyes wide.

-Are you serious? You could get into real trouble if someone find out about this.

-I doubt someone will. The security guy it's petty dumb. He has never noticed.

Neji smiled a little, totally astonished.

-How many times have you been there?

Shikamaru realized he had talked too much, and tried to rest importance to the subject.

-Just a few... -he said innocently.

The two ninjas shared a confident look, and smiled at each other.

But quickly they remembered they were not alone, and both stared ahead, putting on neutral expressions. Neji felt a warm sensation in his chest. Just walking in silence all the way back to Konoha next to the Nara made him want to smile again.


	12. Chapter12

**Neji's POV**

All the way back to Konoha Neji tried not to look at Shikamaru. He felt that every time their eyes met, his heart gave a tiny jump. What was that? It was similar to the adrenaline he had experienced in battle, but it was accompanied by a wave of heat that rose all over his body.

He didn't want to feel that way. Many times he shook his head mentally to wipe those sensations away, while trying to keep a controlled face on the outside.

Fortunately, at passed midnight, they finally reached the village. As soon as they did, the team members took separate ways. Neji decided to take a shower before heading to the Nara forest, and he walked besides Tenten towards the training fields. He saw Shikamaru walking lazily in the direction of the Hokage Mansion, probably to report that they have arrived.

-He really defended you today. -the kunoichi commented, looking at the Nara fading away at the distance too.

Neji denied with his head.

-Kiba just went too far. He would have done it for anyone.

-I'm not so sure. -his friend said giggling. -I've never seen that slacker so serious and intense in my life. I mean, his eyes really scared me.

-He was just being a good captain. -Neji answered.

Tenten gave him a silly smile.

-You think he's a good captain? -she asked.

-Yes, of course. -the Hyuga said honestly, as if it was the most obvious thing.

-Why?

Neji didn't understand the point of asking this. He shrugged and responded:

-Because,... he is very smart, his strategies are always the better ones, he thinks like ten times faster than normal people, and he keeps his teame safe above all.

Tenten put her palms on her cheeks and her eyes sparkled.

-Ooh, that is so sweet! -she exclaimed.

-What?! -the Hyuga said surprised, not seeing it.

-You really like him! -the girl clarified.

-You asked me if I thought he was a good captain!

-And you gave him nothing but great compliments. -she was smiling wide with satisfaction. -You like him so much!

-I don't! -he yelled at her. -Shut up!

This went on until they separated in the access to the bathrooms. Neji entered and the kunoichi continued her way home.

He went straight to the showers and tried to clear his mind, concentrating only in the hot water falling down his body, but it didn't work. He left the bathrooms and started walking slowly towards the Nara forest.

He took the desert road that surrounded the woods as he always did. But he stopped when he felt a presence in the middle of the way. It wasn't Shikamaru's chakra, he would have recognized it. He decided to activate his Byakugan, and was happy to do so, because he saw Kiba walking on his direction, looking at the floor with an angry expression.

He definitely didn't want to pass near the boy, so he decided to hid behind a tree until he was gone. But when he did, another person entered in his jutsu's range of vision. And this time, it was Shikamaru.

When they were close enough to recognize themself, both ninjas stopped and stared at each other. Neji studied Kiba's angry face, and saw how Shikamaru responded to it with a relaxed look. The Nara resumed his walk to stop just a few steps away from his friend.

-Hey. -he greeted.

Kiba diverted his eyes and didn't saluted back. He just stood there, frowning.

-What? Are you not talking to me? -Shikamaru asked.

The Inuzuka just rose his chin offended, ignoring the question.

-C'mon, dude. Lets just talk about it. -the Nara said with a friendly look. -It's weird that you are mad at me.

-You should've thought about that before putting yourself in Hyuga's side. -the Inuzuka replied.

-I didn't put myself on his side. You were out of control. -Shikamaru explained calmly. -I'm sorry, man, but I can't have internal fights like those in my team. And you were the one starting them, over and over and over again.

-I wasn't. -was Kiba's capricious answer.

-Yes, you were. -the Nara continued patiently. -More than usual. Are you gonna tell me what's going on?

-There's nothing going on. -the Inuzuka affirmed, but Shikamaru showed with a look that he didn't believe that.

-I think I know you well enough to not buy that. -he made a pause waiting for a response, and when he didn't get one, he pointed at a bench at the side of the road. -We can sit and talk about it.

-I don't know. -Kiba said between his teeth. -You'd probably cut me of the bench.

Shikamaru smiled slightly at this last comment.

-I'm sorry I had to do that. -he said, and carefully placed a hand in his friends shoulder, guiding him slowly to the bank. -C'mon.

Neji saw that Kiba didn't resist, which meant he wasn't really mad at the Nara. The two boys sat down, and the hidden Hyuga prayed that the Inuzuka wouldn't smell him.

-What's the problem? -Shikamaru asked.

Kiba took a long time to answer, but the taller ninja waited patiently.

-My mother have been pressing me to take the Jonin exam since she heard Hyuga already did it. -he finally said. -She doesn't stop talking about how dedicated and responsible he is, and all the time she repeats that I should be more like him.

-What a drag. -the Nara told him, comprehensive.

-You have no idea. She constantly tells me that I should train harder and stop lazing around.

-I've been told that many times. -Shikamaru commented. -But this makes it clearer to me: you're not mad at Hyuga, you're actually mad at your mother. -Kiba didn't answer, not wanting to admit that. -This reminds me of the Academy.

-Why? -the Inuzuka asked surprised.

-I remember you attacking Sasuke all the time when he made progress at training. I don't blame you, I mean, I didn't like him either. But that was cause I thought he was a dick. You hated him for being better than us.

-I sound pretty stupid if you put it that way. -Kiba said lowering his head.

-You're not stupid. -the Nara reassured him. -You're just aiming your hatred in the wrong direction.

-How's that?

-Simple: Neji is not your problem. It's you mom.

The Inuzuka meditated that for a moment.

-I guess... -he just answered.

-Now, if she wants you to take the Jonin exam, why don't you just do it? -Shikamaru questioned.

Kiba moved in his sit, gettin a little embarrassed.

-I already did, and I failed. -he confessed.

-Well, then, take it again. -the Nara said as it was the most obvious option.

-It's very hard! -the other boy complained, supporting his chin in his fists and looking at the floor.

-Of course it is. -Shikamaru said smiling. -That's why I haven't take it either, and I never will.

-But you got it pretty easy. You know you are already very weak so there's no point in taking it. -Kiba answered honestly.

-Thanks. Nice compliment. -the Nara said ironically.

His friend tried to explain himself better:

-I say you can just concentrate in your smartness, cause you know it makes no sense to train you body harder.

-Wow. That one was even better.

-You know what I mean. -Kiba replied, showing he wasn't trying to offend him.

Shikamaru put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward a little.

-Nevermind. The thing is, you shouldn't be picking on Neji for this. You should talk to your mother.

-Impossible. When that woman gets something in her head there's nothing anyone can do. -the Inuzuka said resigned.

-Yeah, well, sometimes parents suck. -the Nara said. With his Byakugan, Neji could see the faint hint of bitterness that appeared in Shikamaru's face at pronouncing those last words. -But that's no reason to attack others.

-I know. -Kiba admitted. -But every time I see Hyuga, I get furious. He irritates me so much! I can't help it!

-You'll just have to learn to control that, man. If you'll stopped being such a jerk with him, you'll realize he's in fact a nice guy.

The Inuzuka moved his head backwards a little, as if that was the most improbable thing ever.

-That arrogant? -he asked.

-He's not arrogant, just a bit serious. -Shikamaru said calmly. -He's actually pretty cool.

At hearing this, Neji felt that warm sensation in his chest again. The Nara was defending him in front of a friend that totally hated him. He had never expected that.

-Okay, now you're just sounding crazy. -Kiba answered.

Shikamaru let out a relaxed laugh.

-So, will you try to be a little less harsh? -he asked.

The other boy nodded slowly.

-Yeah. -he said.

-And are we cool again?

The Inuzuka looked at him for a shot moment, and finally smiled.

-Sure. -he answered.

They stood up and said goodbye friendly. But Shikamaru stayed there for a while with his hands in his pockets, waching Kiba walked away. In that moment, a new figure appeared at Neji's sight. It was Temari, who was slowly approaching the Nara from behind. Apparently she had already seen him there.

-Hey, you! -she said when she reached him.

Neji caught a glance of the tall boy's startled face when he recognized the voice. He put on a neutral expression as he turned around.

-Hey, Temari. -he greeted.

-Still up so late? -she asked smiling.

-I've just returned from my mission. -the Nara answered lazily. -What are you doing?

-Nothing, I was going to the guesthouse to go to sleep. -she girl replied, and she walked closer to the boy with a sassy grin. -But now that we have met, you could come with me, to not sleep at all.

Neji felt a strange sensation of irritation. He knew that what he was doing was spying, and that he should walk away, but at the same time he wanted to keep listening.

-Sounds nice... -Shikamaru started. -But I'm pretty tired.

-Oh, poor baby. -the kunoichi exclaimed, closing the distance between them and grabbing him softly from his t-shirt. -Do you want mama to take you to bed?

Behind the tree, Neji clenched his fists unconsciously.

-That'd be great... -the Nara said, tilting his head back a little. -But I got a long report to write, or Tsunade will finally fired me.

Temari looked at him with suspicion.

-Really? -she questioned. -You are going to write a report, now?

Shikamaru shrugged.

-I got no choice. -he replied.

Temari let go his t-shirt and put her hands in her hips.

-Nara Shikamaru rejecting casual sex to work? I'm not stupid, you know.

-What? You're always saying I should apply myself more to my work. -he excused himself.

-Yes, and you have never done it. -she answered smiling.

-Maybe I'm changing.

The kunoichi looked at him as if he was kidding her.

-I think there is something you are not telling me. -she deduced.

Shikamaru shrugged again.

-There's not.

But the woman didn't believe him.

-Please, I can totally see it in your face. -she said.

-What you are seeing in my face is exhaustion, cause I'm exhausted. -the Nara retorted with a sleepy face.

-No, it's something else. -she kept on, studying his factions.

Shikamaru just looked at her with bored eyes.

-Whatever. -he replied, starting to walk towards the forest. -While you stay here thinking about that, I'll go write my report.

He had just made a few spets, when Temari's voice made him stop.

-Fine. I'll just ask Ino. She will be able to explain me why you don't want to come with me tonight.

The Nara turned around as speed of light and couldn't control his mouth.

-No! -he exclaimed. But seconds after he realized he had just uncovered himself. -Damn it!

-I knew it! -the kunoichi rejoiced. -Now you have to tell me.

Shikamaru put a hand to his face and squeezed his eyes.

-Troublesome woman. -he said.

She just looked at him with a smile of speciation, and the boy finally exhaled, resigned.

-I might be... seeing someone, or something.

Temari pretended to be mad at that.

-So you are cheating on me? -she asked.

For Shikamaru's expression, Neji realized it was a joke.

-Please, how many guys have you slept with since the last time we saw each other? -he questioned.

-I'm just kidding with you. And, not so many. -the girl said smiling. -So tell me, who is she?

Neji relaxed a little at hearing that she was thinking about a woman, and the Nara seemed to do the same.

-I'm not telling you that. -he answered.

-Why not?! -Temari exclaimed, slightly offended.

-Because, it's not really a thing. I mean, we're not going out or anything. We've just had a couple of... You know, situations.

-Uhh, situations! -the girl repeated, smiling wide.

-C'mon. -Shikamaru begged, clearly uncomfortable.

The kunoichi giggled at him.

-Relax. You mean you have just gone physical a few times, I got it. -the Nara blushed a little at that. -But let me get this straight: you are not dating.

-No. -Shikamaru answered.

-It's not an official thing.

-No. -he repeated.

-So you don't really have a commitment with this girl, do you?

The boy thought about that question for a moment, and then denied with his head.

-No. -he said sincerely.

Temari went closer to him and slowly grabbed his t-shirt fabric again.

-Then I don't see why we can't still have fun. -she purred.

Neji felt that a wave of fire overtook him. He wanted to run towards them and push the girl away from the Nara. But at the same time, he wanted to kick himself for feeling that way.

Shikamaru swallowed awkwardly.

-I don't know... -he said. -What if she finds out I was with another person? She might think I'm a jerk. -he grabbed Temari's hands with his to slowly pull them away. -I don't want to screw it up.

Temari didn't resist and gave a step back.

-But you don't look very certain about this. -she commented. -Are you sure that something will happen again between you two?

-Maybe... -the Nara hesitated. -Though, most probably,... no.

He pronounced this last words with a little trace of sadness, that made Neji's heart tremble.

-And still you don't want to take the risk? -the girls asked.

Shikamaru just shrugged once more, and lowered his head.

-Wow. You must really like this girl. -Temari told him, smiling. But the ninja just stare at the ground. -I'm I right?

The Nara just shook his head, looking very tired now.

-Honestly, I have no idea.

Short minutes later, they parted in opposite directions. The Hyuga could see Shikamaru approaching the acces he always used to go to the cabin, but his Byakugan lost sight of him when he entered the forest.

Neji slowly slided to the ground and sat with his back to the tree. He couldn't explain why, but his heart was pounding. He thought about what he had just saw: the Nara had rejected Temari, who was a very beautiful woman, he supposed, and he had done it for him. FOR HIM. Was that possible? No, it couldn't be. Maybe he didn't want to sleep with her for some other reasons, and he had just made all that up as an excuse.

But suddenly he remembered the strange expresion the Nara's face had shown when he admitted that, probably, nothing would happen again between them. His eyes had gone so afflicted that Neji felt completely stunned. He hadn't seen that look on Shikamaru's face even the night he told him about the problem with his father. What did that mean? Was it possible that he really like him?

Neji felt his heart jolt at that thought. Why was that happening to him? He was determined to hold on to the fact that he had no feelings for the Nara. That sounded stupid, after all. They had only experienced a physical attraction, what was a big problem already, but there was nothing else there. Why was he feeling so emotional then?

He stood up, very confused, and started walking towards the forest acces, thinking he needed to get some sleep. He crossed the line of trees and headed slowly to the cabin, but when he got there, he didn't dare to enter. The place was so full with Shikamaru's things, that it would only messed up with his head more. He decided to take a little walk to clear his thoughts.

He wandered around without going too far, to avoid getting lost. Without his Byakugan, it was difficult to know where he was in that enormous forest. Suddenly, he heard something that sounded like a heavy but tiny thing sinking in deep water. He stopped to pay attention, and a few seconds later, he heard it again.

He localizated its origin, and followed it. It seemed to be very close.

Again and again, at irregular intervals, the sound repeated, and Neji walked in it's direction. He stopped when he saw that forward, the trees opened at a small lake hidden in the middle of the forest. On its edge, there was a tall figure, that threw pebbles into the water. The Hyuga held his breath at realizing it was Shikamaru.

The boy was standing with his usual lazy posture, trying to make the little stones jump in the clear surface. But all of them kept sinking. He didn't seem to mind, though. When he runned out of pebbles, he simply leaned down to pick another amount, and went back to throwing them.

Neji watched him for approximately ten minutes, in which the boy didn't stop at any moment, and he started to get worried. Finally he step out from his hiding place and said:

-It is never going to work if you throw them that way.

Shikamaru went so startled that he almost fell into the water.

-Fuck! -he yelled. -Hyuga! Are you trying to kill me?

He took a hand to his chest and attempted to regain his composure.

-I am sorry. -Neji said approaching. -I just wanted to tell you that you need to throw them from the side to make them jump.

Shikamaru looked at the peebles in his hand, and then to Neji again.

-Oh, right. I wasn't paying much attention, really.

Neji studied his face at the half moon light. His eye bags were very deep and dark. He knew the Nara hadn't sleept at all the night before, and at that moment it must be near one or two in the morning. He should be beaten.

-What are you doing here? -the Hyuga asked. -Are you not tired?

-I am. -Shikamaru answered, lowering his shoulders. -But I couldn't sleep.

He remembered how the Nara had looked at him at the guesthouse, staying awake all night.

-Why? -he questioned, not being able to stop himself.

-I don't know... Insomnia, maybe... Why are you not sleeping?

Neji watched the lake reflecting the stars.

-I couldn't slept either. -he finally said.

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets and stared at the water too. They just stayed there in silence for a little while.

-I got a good news for you. -the Nara broke the silence. -I talked with Kiba, and he will, most probably, stop bothering you a little.

Neji rose an eyebrow.

-"A little"?

Shikamaru shrugged.

-I don't do miracles. -he said.

The Hyuga was about to replied, when he felt a thick and wet thing touching his head and soaking him.

He jumped and turned around, to find a young deer that stared at him, wanting to eat his hair.

-Suim, don't! -the Nara screamed.

He grabbed the animal from its half grown antlers and pull from them. The deer made a strange noise that sounded like a complain.

-I'm sorry. He's really stupid. -Shikamaru said.

Neji watched the large beast sniff the boy's clothes.

-Is this the deer Daichi mentioned? -he asked.

-Yeah, this is Suimin. -the Nara answered while the animal tried to eat his pants fabric. -He's not very bright.

Neji laughed slightly.

-He is cute.

-You won't say that when he licks you after eating garbage.

The deer started snooping between the near bushes.

-How can you have a deer of your own? -Neji asked. -I thought all Naras took care of all the deers.

-We do. -Shikamaru responded. -But when a Nara is born he is assigned with an also newborn deer. So they'll protect each other and stuff. It's a tradition.

-It sounds like a nice tradition. -the Hyuga opined.

-Yeah, when you get a good deer. In this case... -he looked at the animal again, who now was about to swallow something from the ground. -Gross, don't eat that! It's crap from another animal! -But Suimin didn't seem to mind. -Disgusting beast.

Neji laughed again when the deer tried to drink water from the lake and almost fell inside. Shikamaru grabbed him from the horns again and helped him recover balance. And he won that Suimin gave him a few licks of thanks.

-Get that snout full of shit away from me! -the Nara said, but when the animal couldn't reach his face, he went for his pants again. -Stop, I don't have any treats.

-What is he looking for? -Neji asked.

-Blueberry croquettes. He loves them.

Even if it sounded impossible, the deer seemed to understand Shikamaru's words. He rose his head and made an enthusiastic bellow, trying to reach his face again.

-I said I DON'T have any! -the Nara repeated.

At this, the animal lowered his hears and snorted pitifully. Neji was impress.

-It is like he understands what you are saying. -he said.

-He just understands whats suits him. -Shikamaru answered. -"Blueberry croquettes", he gets it. But "Don't eat that crap" its alien language for him.

At the mention of his treats, Suimin started bellowing again, and he didn't seem willing to give up this time. The Nara tried to push him away, but the beast was determined.

-I think you will have to give him something. -Neji said. -He doesn't look like he will surrender.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and exhaled, resigned.

-I got a bag of croquettes in the cabin. But I'm not walking all the way over there, he'll have to settle with the faeces.

But the deer didn't agreed with that. He started biting the Nara's t-shirt and pulling from it insistently.

-Give me a break... -the tall ninja said, pressing his eyes with his fingers. But then he added: -Fine, you win! I'll go get them!

The big animal shook his head with excitement and started jumping around. Both boys headed to the storage hut, followed by the happy deer.

During the short walk, Suimin dedicated himself to the task of smelling Neji's hair, and rubbing his nose tenderly on his cheek, perhaps believing the boy had influenced his owner's decision of give him food.

-He is very affectionate. -the Hyuga commented.

-Yeah, he likes you. -Shikamaru answered with a side smile.

The deer made a searing sound as if he was confirming this last sentence.

-Aw. -Neji said, caressing his snout. -I like you too.

When they arrived to the cabin, the Nara opened the door and both ninjas entered.

Suimin tried to follow them, but when Shikamaru noticed it, he turned around and screamed to Neji:

-Don't let him in!

The Hyuga looked at him and then at the large animal, who had pass half of his body through the door already. How was he supposed to take him out?

Probably understanding that he didn't know what to do, the taller ninja hastened to the entrance and pushed the clumsy beast outside with a lot of difficulty. When he finally made Suim cross the threshold, he closed the door.

-The last time he entered here he ate two books and a scale model of a ship.

Neji laughed at that, watching the Nara as he looked for the treats. In the forest, the deer bellowed insistently.

-I'm searching! -his owner shouted at him. -Great, here they are.

He pulled a brown paper bag from under a pile of things and went to the window. He opened it and threw the bag outside.

-There you go. Now go bother someone else.

-Shouldn't you give him only the croquettes? -Neji asked, watching through the window that the animal didn't differentiate between the paper and the treats.

-Nah, he likes to eat the bag. -Shikamaru answered, not worried at all. He closed the window and took a look around. -Damn, this place is really crammed with things. You sure you're okay here?

-Yes, of course. -Neji replied. -This is more than I could ask for you. I have already stayed here for too long. I feel like I am invading you.

-You're not. -the Nara reassured him. -I'm happy to help you.

Hearing those words made the older boy's thoughts shook. The events of the last weeks started to pass before his eyes. He didn't realize he was staring at the Nara with a blank expression. But the other ninja noticed it.

-What's wrong? -he asked, taking a step forward and frowning sightly.

Neji just lowered his head and looked at the floor, not being able to stop his turbulent mind. Finally, he questioned in a low voice:

-Why do you do this?

Shikamaru went silent for a few seconds, probably trying to figure out what he meant.

-What? -he said after a while.

-Help me. -Neji answered, without rising his head. -We were practically strangers a few weeks ago, but recently you are always aiding me and defending me.

The Nara moved his feet, maybe a little uncomfortable.

-Not always. -he murmured.

-But you do it a lot. -Neji insisted. -With Hisao, with Hayato, letting me stay here, and today, with Kiba... -he lifted his head to look at the taller boy, and their eyes met. -Why?

Shikamaru didn't replied instantly. He just stood there for a moment, holding the Hyuga's stare with his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be meditating the question. After a long minute, he lowered his eyes and said with a slightly raspy voice:

-I don't know. But I can't stop myself. I've tried, and I just keep doing it. I really can't explain it.

He rose his stare again and Neji saw that he looked more exhausted than ever. They silently studied each other, without noticing time passing. At some point, the younger boy pressed his lips, as if he had been about to say something, but had stopped himself. The Hyuga questioned him with his eyes.

Shikamaru took a long breathe and let out a slowly exhalation, without breaking their stare. Then he made one more step forward, and diverted his eyes to the floor.

-I guess... -he began, hesitating. -I don't want anyone to hurt you... -Neji felt his heart getting softer, and thought that it was the most caring thing anybody had told him in his life. But only because he didn't know what the Nara will say next: -At least after the night of Hiro's death... -he frowned, as if the memory caused him pain. -I only know I don't ever want to see that expression in your face again.

The Hyuga let out a sigh at that, which made Shikamaru lift his stare again. His eyes were so honest and true that Neji felt a wave of emotion filling his chest. The taller ninja shook his head slowly and said in a very low tone:

-I'm sorry, Neji. I don't know what's happening to me.

The Hyuga felt his throat closing. He smiled sadly, and replied:

-That makes two of us.

Shikamaru widened his eyes a little at hearing this, and the older boy realized he had just admitted something he had been denying for weeks. A whirlwind of unknown feelings flooded him, and it was so strong that he had to close his eyes. He remembered the conservation he had witnessed between the Nara and Temari, and how the boy had rejected the kunoichi without hesitation. That made his chest ache, and he felt overwhelmed.

He didn't know how much time he had spent like this, but suddenly he felt a warm hand caressing his cheek. He opened his lids, and saw Shikamaru, looking at him with a sad and worried expression. He's eyes were so emotional and troubled that Neji knew he should be feeling just as confused as him.

But that slight touch changed everything. He felt electricity run over his whole body, and the sudden need of stop thinking. The Nara must had feel the same, because they both leaned forward, until their lips met.


	13. Chapter 13

**Shikamaru's POV**

When his mouth touched Neji's, a wave of sensations exploited in Shikamaru's body, and he closed his eyes strongly. The soft surface of the Hyuga's lips awakened memories of the few previous times they had kissed. The heat, the adrenaline, and the throbbing desire to throw everything overboard and let himself fall himself into the void, without caring about the consequences.

But unlike before, when they had started in a measured and timid way, this kiss was intense from the beginning. The impulse drew them closer, and he wrapped his arms around Neji's waist. The older ninja willingly embraced the situation as well, and he took his hands to Shikamaru's neck. The two boys pressed their bodies together and their lips parted, letting their thirsty tongues met in a long expected re encounter. They savored each other taste, while panting heavily into the kiss. The Hyuga's breathe was the most delicious flavor he had ever tried in his life. The sweet scent that emanated from the boy's skin flooded his senses, and the Nara took it all in as if it was a highly addicting drug. There was as much desire in that kiss as every time something similar had happened between them, or maybe even more.

But there was also something different. Something that was growing in tandem with the arousal, but that had nothing to do with their bodies. Shikamaru felt Neji's fingers nailing in his nape, but not with the hungry lust with which he had done it in Fukanzen. This time there was desperation, mixed with something similar to a silent longing. And need. An overwhelmed and implacable need for something he couldn't yet decipher. His heart started jumping harshly in his chest. It had got startled at the thought that the new thing in the kiss could be emotion of some kind.

Was that likely? Could the Hyuga be having anything similar to feelings for him? Just the idea provoked two simultaneous sensations on him: a large warmth spread inside his chest, while a freezing chill rose along his spine. He felt fear. Alter all, he had been refusing for weeks the thought that he himself could have them, and he had decisively cling to the fact that he didn't. Million of times he had repeated in his head that it was nothing but an unexpected physical attraction, and in each one he haven't sound convincing at all.

The worst part was realizing that the Hyuga's feeling or whatever it was, was caused by his own. At least according to his reaction when Shikamaru had confessed that he didn't want anyone to hurt the other ninja. Neji's eyes had fill with so much empathy ar hearing that, that it couldn't mean anything else: he knew there were deeper sensations going on inside the Nara, beyond the evident physical desire.

What would happen if, somehow, the other boy corresponded him in some way? What would that mean? What would they do? Probably the best course of action would be to end things immediately. But if they did so, they would distance themselves and everything would get awkward between them. Did he want that? He definitely had gotten himself into a very troublesome situation.

He was so aroused and confused at the same time, that he felt suddenly lost. He opened his eyes to tried to find something reassuring in the Hyuga's face, but what he saw just marvelled him: Neji's big pupils were shining bright at the low night light that came from the window, looking even more pink than in Fukanzen. He knew that normally his eyes were of a pale lilac, and Shikamaru went stunned wondering how could they change like that. The older boy must have seen it, because he broke the kiss and asked softly:

-What?

The Nara watched his eyes completely hypnotized for a little longer before answering.

-Your eyes. They're pink.

-They are? -Neji questioned, apparently surprised. He flushed slightly. -I didn't knew they changed in these... contexts.

Shikamaru couldn't hide a happy and a little bit proud smile at that.

-I didn't know Hyuga's eyes change color. -he said, noticing vaguely that he was caressing Neji's low back with his hands.

-Not all do. -the boy responded, not uncomfortable with the touch. -Just a few.

The Nara couldn't help but think that those huge turbulent pink pupils looked like puffy, nebulous clouds traversed by the sunset light.

-It's pretty. -he murmured, not being able to contain himself.

Neji smiled softly at thereng that, but no long after he lowered his sare and his expression turned into concern.

-Yours... -he begun, referring to Shikamaru's eyes. -look tired. -The Nara understood that he must have very pronounced eye bags from not sleeping. -You have not sleep at all in the last days, have you?

He tried to lie, but discovered that he couldn't. No convincing answer came to him.

-I slept plenty here in the floor the other day. -he finally replied. -I'm okay.

The Hyuga shook his head.

-That is not sleeping properly. -he said. -When was the last time you had a real night of sleep?

Again, no lie occurred to him. Or maybe, he just didn't want to lie.

-Three nights ago. -he finally answered. Why couldn't he stop being so brutally honest?.

Apparently Neji was about to nag him, but he stopped when he realized that three nights ago they had been together in Fukanzen. His eyes filled with that deep empathy again, and he took one hand off from Shikamaru's neck to caress his cheek. The Nara leaned closer at the contact, and they kissed again.

Not intentionally, one of his fingers slid under Neji's light blue blouse, and the older ninja shivered between his arms. That send a shock of electricity to Shikamaru's brain, and he decidedly slithered his both hands beneath the fabric. The smaller body pressed to his jolted, and the Nara felt trembling fingers digging into his nape again. To pull those reactions from the Hyuga was simply thrilling.

Shikamaru rose one of his hands way up Neji's back and beyond his blouse neck, to sink his fingers in the boy's thick hair and strongly grab the back of his head. Holding him like this, he stuck his tongue deeper into the Hyuga's mouth, who moaned at the sensation.

That sweet vibrating sound made his groin throb violently, and he felt imprisoned in his clothes. He enjoyed Neji's mouth until they both went out of breath and had to part their lips to get some air.

Panting, the two boys stared at each other.

-Kami, Shikamaru. What is this? -the Hyuga questioned with difficulty.

The other ninja just shook his head.

-I don't know. -he confessed, agitated.

But whatever it was, the attraction was too strong, and they crashed together again. Only that this time they weren't able to stop anymore.

Hungry tongues got tangled once more, and the heat rose as if they were on fire. The fabric barriers became a hindrance, so much that both shirts were torn off, allowing their bare chests and stomachs to touch. Shikamaru's skin bristled at the contact, and all the fears he had been wondering about before disappeared with the adrenaline. He didn't care about anything anymore. Whatever consequences this might carry, he would cope with them.

He felt his body becoming more and more wild, and he walked forward, pushing Neji backwards until the Hyuga's thighs hit against a desk. He pressed strongly, aligning their hips, and making their erections rub together. The older boy clenched his eyes shut and drove his head back to groan.

-Ah! -was the delighting sound.

Shikamaru seized the opportunity to attack Neji's neck with his ravenous mouth, while clenching his fingers into the dense mane again. He clasped his hips forward and rolled them repeatedly, crashing the Hyuga against the desk. The older ninja took his hands to the Nara's shoulder blades and dug his nails on the bare skin. The sensation made him let out a harsh and loud exhalation, and he immediately sank his teeth on Neji's neck. The response was another delicious groan.

-Damn, Hyuga, how can you taste like this? -Shikamaru asked against the other boy's soft skin.

Neji chuckled slightly at that, and the Nara rose his head to look at him in the face.

-I assume you have no interest in trying to sleep. -the boy teased.

Shikamaru gave him a side smile.

-There'd be no point. -he answered honestly. -And even if i managed to get some sleep, I know what I would dream with.

After hearing that, the Hyuga licked his lips suggestively. He put one hand on the Nara's chest and caress him slowly. Clear lust emanated from his eyes.

-Tell me one of your dreams. -he requested, like he had done three nights ago.

Shikamaru's length shivered under his jeans. It fascinated him how Neji enjoyed knowing that he had got turned on by the memories of him many times. The Nara decided that if the other boy wanted to know the details, he would tell them to him. Or even better, he would show him.

-Well, one of the most tortuous, -he began slowly. -was one in which I did this.

He smashed his mouth against the Hyuga's again, invading it with his impertinent tongue. But short after he drove back to kiss the pale neck, and then the pale chest. He kept going down, sliding his wet lips over the sculpted surface of Neji's abs, until he was kneeling in the floor, with the other ninja's erection directly in front of his face. He licked the soft skin of his lower stomach just before the beginning of the black pants, and putting his hand on both sides of the Hyuga's hips, he pull slowly from the fabric. But he was stop by delicate fingers that suddenly surrounded his wrists.

He looked up, to see that Neji was hesitating. Maybe he was going too fast. But he couldn't detain himself. He desperately wanted to feel that hard member on his lips, although never before he had imagined he will desire something like that. At any case, he wasn't going to wonder about that now.

-Please… -he begged, and the Hyuga's eyes went wide at seeing him implore. -Let me do it. I really want this.

Neji blushed even more, and he loosened his grip on the Nara's wrists. Shikamaru took it as a permission, and he finally pulled the other ninja's pants and underwear down, freeing the hard shaft.

He felt his own member dripping at the beautiful sight, and he licked his lips with lust. Nailing his eyes on Neji's face, as to not miss any detail of the boy's reaction, he posed his mouth over the sweet skin of the hot log.

The Hyuga let out a shivering breath, that made Shikamaru's blood boil. He kissed the warm surface, slowly and repeatedly. The scent that came from it was intoxicating. He stuck his tongue out and slid it gently along the hard length. Neji's hands flew to the desk, and he strongly grabbed the wood, panting heavily.

-Ngh.. -was the beautiful sound that escaped from his lips.

But it wasn't enough. Shikamaru wanted more.

The Nara slowly licked the wet tip of the Hyuga's member, and tasted the hot liquid that was coming out of it. It was salty, maybe a little spicy, and he wanted it all. He slid the throbbing head into his mouth, and Neji moaned loudly.

If his mind haven't been so blinded by arousal, he would have been surprise of himself. But the only thing that mattered to him at that moment was taking Neji to ecstasy. He caressed the hot flesh between his lips with his tongue, pulling deep groans out of the Hyuga. Then he started moving his mouth back and forward in a slow tandem, stimulating the burning tip. He saw the older boy's fists getting pale for clenching so violently to the desk, and he felt his own member dripping again.

Desire had completely take control of his actions. He didn't care about the past nor the future. The only thing that existed was that moment. He looked at Neji close his eyes at the overwhelming sensation, while his cheeks went red as fire. Shikamaru felt the need of having the boy's whole hard member stuck deep in his mouth, and he moved his head forward, taking it all in.

-Ah! -the Hyuga cried in pleasure, putting his hands on the Nara's shoulders and squeezing them tightly, but not pulling him away.

Could he be near the edge? Shikamaru didn't recognize himself when the idea of Neji coming inside his mouth made his erection shake.

He drove his head backwards, and then forward again, slowly at first but gaining speed as the Hyuga's aroused moans filled the cabin. At no time he stopped moving his tongue along the wet shaft.

After short and intense moments, Neji's voice called his attention:

-Shikamaru… Stop.. -The Nara looked up, and noticed that the other ninja was about to lose it. -I'm going to…

The embarrassed boy didn't dare to finish the sentence, and Shikamaru felt his blood turning into lava.

He slowly pull the throbbing member out of his mouth.

-Do it. -he said firmly, licking his lips.

The Hyuga opened his eyes in disbelief. He stared at him for a few seconds, and then shook his head, like it was inconceivable that the younger boy was asking him that.

-Please.. -Shikamaru begged once more. -I want to taste you.

-Ah, gods.. -Neji answered, surprised and highly aroused.

The Nara resolved to continue. He took the older boy's hard erection in his mouth again, and started stroking him with his wet lips once more. The Hyuga's hips and legs began to shiver, and Shikamaru strongly grabbed him from his hip bones to steady him.

-Ah, Shikamaru! -Neji moaned one last time, and the Nara trembled at hearing his name coming from the Hyuga's lips in such an erothic tone.

He sank the soaked flesh deeper in his mouth, until suddenly, a hot thickish liquid filled it. He heard Neji groan sharply, and he rose his stare to the ninja. The boy had arched his body and tilted his head back with the orgasm, and now was very slowly returning to reality. Shikamaru retreated his mouth from the still throbbing erection, and waited until the Hyuga opened his eyes and looked at him, to lick his lips and swallow his full release.

That made the older ninja bit the corner of his mouth, and Shikamaru thanked Luck that, due to his great memory, he would remember that image in his mind for the rest of his life. He felt the Hyuga's legs were starting to slack, and he rose to his feet to embrace him from the waist again, and hold him kindly against the desk. The other boy simply let his head fell against the Nara's clavicle, and stood there breathing agitated, trying to normalize his heart rate.

Shikamaru looked over his shoulder and got a glance of the pile of blankets Neji had been sleeping on. He turned his head back again and affirmed his grip on the older ninja's waist. Then he started walking backwards until they were above the soft surface, and gently drove the Hyuga down to make him lay on the improvised futon. With a careful twist, he laid next to him.

Supporting his head in one of his hands, he dedicated himself to study how the other boy assimilated what had just happened. His dark black eyes held Neji's big, pink pupils when they nailed on him. They stared at each other for long minutes, not saying a word, only breathing each other in the intimate air they shared. Shikamaru paid attention to the Hyuga's disheveled hair spreading between the sheets, and at his pale skin shining under the starlight. He definitely was the most attractive person he had ever met.

-You shouldn't get used to this. -the Hyuga broke the silence.

The Nara just rose an eyebrow at that, so the older ninja took a deep breath and continued.

-As soon as I get a chance, I will leave this village. -Neji diverted his eyes a little. -You should not forget that.

Shikamaru knew what he was referring to, but he acted like it didn't meant a serious problem to him.

-Yeah, you've told me. -he answered. -You'll go at the first opportunity you get. I know.

Neji looked at him again, an pinched his eyes, not completely trusting him.

After a long moment, he asked:

-Are you not afraid of being hurt?

The Nara suddenly felt a knot in his throat, but tried to dissimulated it by smiling carelessly.

-No. -he replied. -I'm not a girl.

Neji smiled too.

-In that case... -he said mischievously.

He quickly turned on his side to face Shikamaru, and kissed him softly. But in little seconds, he deepened the kiss, and took one of his hands to the Nara's member, which was still hard as iron under his jeans. Then he tilted his head back an inch.

-This is not over. -Neji purred over his mouth.

The smaller ninja wanted the domain this time. He rolled until he was above Shikamaru, and took his fingers to the boy's zipper. After opening it, he pull the blue fabric dow, along with the underwear. The Nara didn't refused at any moment. He willingly let the other handle him, feeling his skin burning at seeing that the boy wanted him too.

Neji took a look of the younger ninja's dripping shaft, and without hesitation he grabbed it in his hand, caressing it gently. The stiff erection was so wet that his fingers slid up and down deliciously.

-Mmm.. -a hoarse groan escaped from Shimakarus mouth.

Getting noticeably excited again, the Hyuga sat over the younger boy's thighs and inclined his body to kiss him. The exquisite tongue invaded his mouth, making the Nara's hips jump. At doing so, his member went deeper into the Hyuga's grip, and he cried in pleasure.

Not being able to stay still, he put his right hand on Neji's hips and brought him closer. Then he lowered on his left one to grab the other's shaft, and joined their fingers to stroke their lengths at the same time. With his grip, he directed the Hyuga, holding strongly to his hip bone and making him jump repeatedly in his thighs. They parted lips only to moan against each other mouth. Shikamaru reached the orgasm and felt his fluid soaking his stomach, along with Neji's, who came immediately after him. They slowly retired their hands.

His vision got blurry, so he closed his eyes and let his head rest in the pile of blankets, while he tried to recover his normal breathing. He felt the other boy leaning over him, and he perceived the ribbon's fabric that covered his forehead against his chest. The Nara didn't remove his hand from the dedicated hip above his, and faintly caressed it with his fingers, provoking a relaxed exhalation from the Hyuga. They stood like this for long minutes, immersed in the partial darkness of the cabin.

For the first time in days, Shikamaru felt like he could easily sleep. He enjoyed being in the limit of unconsciousness, until he detected the body over his moving.

He opened his eyes when the Hyuga placed himself next to him, and they simply stared at each other under the starlight. Neji's huge pink pupils sparkled through the shadows. The Nara rose a hand to caress the older ninja's cheek, but stopped at realizing it was sticky with their releases.

-Shit. -he said, looking at his palm.

The Hyuga chuckled lowly, and sat on the blankets to grab his backpack. He pulled out some handkerchiefs and gave a couple to Shikamaru. The two boys silently cleaned their bodies, and then they lay down again. Their stares met once more, and the Nara felt a sensation of peace he didn't remember having experienced before. It was like if everything was in place. How could that be, when they were obviously entangled in an enormous mess?

Neji must saw something of that wonder in his face, because he asked in a murmur:

-What's wrong?

Shikamaru slowly shook his head.

-Nothing. -he replied. -I was just thinking, how can something so unusual like this feel so... -he looked for the accurate word. -Correct.

The Hyuga narrowed his eyes a little.

-This is not correct. -he answered. -And if we were smart, we will stop.

He saw preoccupation appeared in Neji's face, and he took a hand to the boy's bare waist to caress it reassuringly.

-I guess everybody is wrong about us, and we're not smart after all. -was his response.

The Hyuga gave him a side smile, but then he went serious again.

-What will you do when I leave? -he asked, with evident concern.

Shikamaru felt his heart shrinking, but he didn't show it.

-Nothing. I'll go on with my life.

Neji simply watched him in the darkness.

-So, leaving is really what you want, hum? -the Nara asked, keeping his tone calm.

The older boy nodded slowly.

-It is the best for me. -he replied.

"Right, in order to stay alive", Shikamaru thought. He remembered something he had already considered the first time the Hyuga told him about his plans. A possibility to act that was at his fingertips, and that would resolve things, at least for one of them. But it raised too many dilemmas inside of him. Opposite feelings of altruism and selfishness battled in his mind. He would have to deal with them eventually, probably very soon.

Ignoring all those ruminations, he finally smiled, trying to look unworried.

-I'm fine with that. -he answered, and that seemed to took a heavy load off from Neji, because the Hyuga smiled as well.

The smaller boy got a little closer to the Nara and slid his fingers through the deep dark circles under his eyes.

-You need to sleep now. -he told him.

Shikamaru rose his eyebrows.

-You're letting me sleep here? -he questioned, surprised.

Neji chuckled again, and he snuggled between the Nara's arms. The younger ninja accepted it delighted, while a warm sensation filled his chest.

-It is the only way I can make sure you really sleep. -was his retort.

Shikamaru smile wide in the darkness, and he gently pressed the smaller body against his.

-Maybe we should do this every night, then. -he teased.

The Hyuga let out a soft laugh again.

-Shut up. -he said, but he wasn't mad.

The taller boy felt his heart melting at the intimate confidence that was raising between them, and he simply exhaled with satisfaction.

-Good night, Nara. -Neji whispered against his collarbone.

-Good night, Hyuga. -Shikamaru responded, letting the reassuring beats of the other ninja's heart against his chest lulled him, until he fell into a deep and pleasant sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Shikamaru's POV**

He woke up when the warm and soft body between his arms moved and slowly pulled away from his grip. He whined clenching his eyes, wanting to keep feeling that sweet scent against his nose. He relaxed when he heard a known calm voice talking to him:

-Good morning. -it said.

Shikamaru's heart beated strongly when he realized he was waking up next to Neji, and that the boy was greeting him nicely. A great change from what had happened in Fukanzen. He opened his eyes, and saw the beautiful pale ninja sitting in the blankets, turning to look at him. His long dark hair was disheveled and fall through his back in an untidy cascade. The Nara took a few seconds to make sure he wasn't still dreaming.

-Good morning. -he finally answered in his raspy matitutine voice.

The Hyuga smiled at him, and calmly stood up to go find his clothes. Shikamaru watched him in the faint light of the new day.

-What are you doing? -he asked lazily, and stretched yawning. -It's like, barely dawn.

-Yes. -the other replied while he put his pants. -This is the hour I always wake up. It's time to start the day.

-What a productive maniac you are. -The Nara said rubbing his eyes. Then he let his arms fall heavily at his sides. -Can't you start a little latter just once?

Neji let out a soft giggle.

-No, I have to begin my training. -he had already put on his blouse, and was tying his sandals. He stood up and looked at Shikamaru. -Are you going to stay sleeping?

The boy arched an eyebrow as if the answer was obvious.

-I'm not getting up now, you can bet that. -he replied.

Neji smiled, amused. Apparently he found funny that Shikamaru was a complete slacker.

-Well, enjoy lazing around. Try not to sleep until noon.

Then he walked to the door and held the latch, but turn to gave a last look at the Nara. The boy held his stare, and they just stayed like that for some moments. Finally, Shikamaru smiled and rose his eyebrows, asking a mute question. Neji smiled as well.

-What? -he questioned. -Do you expect a goodbye kiss?

Shikamaru shrugged.

-I wouldn't complain. -he retorted.

Neji grinned wide and shook his head.

-Goodbye, Nara. -he said, and opened the door.

-Goodbye, Hyuga. -was the other's answer.

He stood laying there, looking at the ceiling long after Neji had gone. He was remembering the exciting and wonderful sensations of the previous night. He had never experienced so much lust in his life. The wild desire of stroll his tongue over the Hyuga's complete body had took control of his actions. And he was happy it had.

But suddenly, a very different memory took his whole attention.

"You shouldn't get used to this", Neji had told him, right before reminding him that he would leave Konoha as soon as he could.

That made a strange feeling appeared in Shikamaru's chest. It was like a little void, a tiny hole of emptiness. Then he heard himself asking the Hyuga if leaving was what he really wanted, and the answered made the little spot of nothingless grown an inch.

"It is the best for me".

Thousands of thoughts exploded in his brain. Things he had been wondering about in the last days. His chances of action, and each possible results, with its consequences.

He shook his head, not wanting to think about that again. He had just woke up with Neji's naked body between his arms. Couldn't he simply enjoy the great fantastic morning he was having? He stayed like that a little longer, going over the delighting details of the previous night: the sounds, the heat, and the delicious flavor of the Hyuga's mouth. When he noticed he was gettin arouse again, he got up.

He went to his house and took a shower. After finishing he met with his mother, who had just woken up and was preparing breakfast at hearing he was at home. They ate and chatted quietly. His father was still sleeping, and knowing him he wouldn't got up until midday. His mother didn't asked him where he had been staying the nights he had spend outside. She never did. Since Shikaku's problem had started, Shikamaru's willingness to help had earned him the blind trust of his mom. She respected his privacy, and he appreciated it.

After eating, he walked slowly to the Hokage's Mansion. The sun was warm and the breeze was pleasant. Normally he didn't notice the climate, except for when he went go cloud gazing. But he thought that day was undoubtedly beautiful.

He spended the morning preparing strategies and routes for several patrol teams. He worked happily and without complaining, even humming cheerful melodies from time to time. He stopped at the first hours of afternoon to grab a bite.

Shikamaru walked calmly through Konoha's streets, whistling with a light march. He was approaching Ichiraku's, but when he turned down a corner, he saw something that made him freeze. Between a couple of other stores, just crossing the street, Neji was facing two older Hyugas. The Nara made a step back to make sure that they couldn't see him, and tried to control his chakra emissions as to not call their attention. He couldn't hear what they were saying because of the voices of other people that were passing by, but for what he could observe, it wasn't a friendly conversation. The bare clear forehead of the two men told him they were Main House Members.

Neji was frowning deeply and clenching his fist at the sides of his body. The older guys, who shouldn't be more than 30 years old, were apparently teasing him. They were laughing pedantically and hobnobbing each other. At one moment, one of them rose his hand to caress a strand of Neji's hair, but the boy pull away from the touch with clear disgust.

This didn't please the Hyugas. One of them strongly grabbed the younger ninja by the wrist, and made him come closer to them. Shikamaru saw how he whispered a threaten to Neji between his angry teeth, probably to tell him that if he refused anything they demanded, they will melt his brain in the act.

The Nara's blood boiled from fury in his veins. All he wanted was to choke those bastards to death with his shadows. And he was about to do so, but before he made the first step, an authoritarian voice rang in the air.

-Hey! -Shikamaru turned his head, and saw that the sound was coming from Hisao, who was walking slowly to the trio.

That put him on alert, but what surprised him most was his companion. It was a middle aged man, with regular clothes, and bald. Bald. That made Shikamaru's brain shake and he had the first presentiment. There were many reasons why someone could be bald, of course. But in a thousandth of a second, his mind connected the new character with the noble looking bald guy from the cursed seals reunion. He hadn't been able to study the suspect's features carefully at that time, because he was too far away for that. He had deduced that he was a monk because of his clothes, his solemn look and his lack of hair. But now he could observe more closely. The man's ears had a pronounced hole in the lobes, as if for many years something heavy had hung from them. An electric stream ran through his neurons. High rated monks of many religious branches used big diamond earrings, that were supposed to be made of blessed precious stones or something. That evident deformed skin could easily be due to that. And the simple thought that the prominent Hyuga could had a relation to people using sacrifice seals, didn't seemed crazy at all. Hundreds of theories started forming in his head.

He focused. Apparently, Hisao was reproaching the two asshole Hyugas for being to evident in public. They moved away from Neji, who was dismissed with an arrogant twist of the older man wrist. The boy didn't miss a chance, and turn around to quickly walk away from the place.

Shikamaru didn't stir. He watched with attention, trying to read Hisao's lips. He was just naggin the other ninjas a little more, while they apologized respectfully. After a short moment, the two couples took separate ways.

He didn't even considered his next action. Obviously, he had to follow the Hyuga and the suspicious character. Walking slowly behind them, he saw them reach Konoha's entrance, and part ways. The bald guy left the village, and Hisao took the path to the Hyuga domains.

He could kept persecuting one of them, but the millions of ties that were forming in his head made him think that there were more important things to clarify now.

Tightening his pace, he went straight to Konoha's hospital. He briefly talked to the receptionist, applying his usual lazy act, in which he pretended annoyance for having to gather information for a mission, and asked to be given access to some particular sector of the hospital archive. He woman was a friend of his mom, and she always laughed at his lack of energy. She even encouraged him to do his job. Literally, she ended up begging him to go snoop around. It was like magic.

Once inside, he went directly to what he wanted. He knew the organization of those files as well as the books in his cabin. He knelt down in front of a cabinet, and opened a specific drawer. There, he had the information to check the death certificates of all Konoha citizens.

He quickly took the last months documents. His heart gave a little jump at confirming one of the theories that he had came up with. Many Hyuga names appeared there, too many to be a normal thing. He compared to previous files, and they clearly didn't reached that amount. He studied the names of the fallen ones, but he didn't knew any of them. He had actually met very few Hyugas in his life. Even so, a particular common feature in all the certificates called his attention: they didn't especified the causes of death. Every Hyuga there had just been marked as deceased, an that was all. He check older registers, and it was the same. Was it possible that, for Branched House Members, the cause of death wouldn't be requested?

That made him feel a bitter flavor in his mouth, and shame. Shame for his own village, that allowed things like that to happen. Because that could only be possible due to the complete freedom of action inside the clans.

Satisfied with what he had find out, he left the hospital. He walked distractedly without direction, with his eyes fixed on the ground and without stop thinking. What was the relation between Hisao, the monks, the sacrifice seals, and all those Branch House Members deaths?

Inside his skull he almost heard the gears of his mind running at full speed. He remembered that Hisao had admitted having to put a lot of money out of his pocket to close the deal with the ambassador, and he hadn't look very worried about it. Maybe he had another source of income. At the same time, he recalled that sacrifice seals only allowed the user to extract chakra from a victim who was dying, but the killing part was on the hands of who applied it. The Cursed Seal seemed like a very practical tool to take care of that. What if the Main House, or perhaps Hisao alone, were performing sacrifices by deal? If the monks purchased the seals, gave them to the Hyugas, and then payed to them to extract chakra from Branched House Members? The seals dealers had said that they were using orphans now, and Shikamaru already knew most Branched House Members had no parents.

Damn it. Things were getting darker and darker. It was enough terrible that some Hyugas had the power to kill others, giving no explanation. But that they did it in exchange of money, was just too cold blooded.

He couldn't assure that, though. It made sense, but he had no confirmation yet. How could he be certain?

He knew that Gisei Seals were contact seals. They were placed over the target skin, above the chakra circulation center, which was in the chest. If the Main House Members were combining that tecnic with the Cursed Seal, the Branched House Members bodys should have the scorched mark that contact spells left in the flesh. He just needed to check one of the corpses. But they should all be buried in Konoha's graveyard, and he wasn't going to profane a tomb.

Nevertheless, there was one body that surely wasn't buried. Hiro's body, which had supposedly been dragged by the flood caused by the strong storm of that night. Nobody in his team had seen the complete scene of the guy's murder because it had been too hard, so maybe they had missed the moment when Hisao had used the spell.

He couldn't believe that he was actually considering going after the lost corpse of a young, poor boy to inspectione it. But he realized he was already thinking what direction the body could have took, to go find it. That was the only way of confirming his suppositions without unearthing a person, and he really needed to know.

If he stopped to think about it for too long, he wouldn't do it. So he turned to his house, thinking that he had to get something to light a torch, because he would probably reach his destination with the last sun beams.

**Neji's POV**

Neji walked slowly to the Nara forest. The sun was low in the sky, and soon it would be night. He had spent the whole day training with his team, and had stop at afternoon to take a shower. Everything had been just normal, but when he was about to meet Tenten to eat something, he had run into two stupid Main House Members. They didn't miss the opportunity to harass him. And what they had told him had really preoccupied him. The Main House was apparently completely aware of Hiashi's absence, and that meant they could take advantage of it without fear of reprisals. He had been able to run away from them thanks to Hisao's appearance, but he wouldn't always be so lucky. He would have to be very careful, and try to stay away from any Main House idiot.

When he entered the Forest, he felt relieved of having the possibility to stay in the safest place in Konoha. He was starting to really like that place. It was mysterious, and full of surprises. And most important, no member of his clan could find him there.

He reached the cabin and entered. As he usually did, he looked for Shikamaru's lighter in the floor and lit the candle lamp. When the yellow light illuminated the small room, he took a look around. The piles of books and stranges artefacts were scattered in their habitual random places. Outside the window, the sky had already turned black.

It was still soon to go to sleep, so he set down in the floor with his legs crossed, intended to meditate. But he got a glance of the disorderly sheets where he had spend the previous night with Shikamaru, and felt his heart beat intensely. The Nara's wild kisses came to his memory, and he shuddered. He closed his eyes, and passed long minutes recalling the wonderful sensations the lazy ninja had provoke on him.

Without being able to contain his thoughts, a question he had already made himself during the day assaulted him mind. Would Shikamaru come to the cabin that night? In the past they had decided to keep their distance. Did the last events change that? Rationally, the best would be that they didn't. But on another plane, he wasn't really sure of what he wanted. He hadn't cross paths with the Nara in all day, and he wondered where would he be at that moment.

He spent approximately an hour thinking about those things. He didn't recognize himself lately. Finally, he accepted that the other boy wasn't going to show up, and that it was better not to expect it either. He stood up and blew the candle. In the faint light of the stars, he found his way to the improvised mattress and lay down.

He took a deep breath, and felt Shikamaru's scent in the blankets. He couldn't believe how that simple thing made his heart shrink and expand at the same time. He exhaled slowly, and let the memory of the other body next to his accompany him until he fall asleep.

**Shikamaru's POV**

-Fuck! -he exclaimed in the deep silence of the woods.

He had just sunk a foot in a mud pit of indeterminate depth. Trying to not fall completely into it, he grabbed from a tree branch with his free hand. In the other one he was holding a wooden stick with fire at the tip. After shaking off the wet dirt a bit, he continued on his way.

It was late night already, and he had just passed the clear where Hisao had kill poor Hiro. That was the lower area of that woods, and this was the reason why it always flooded when big storms came up, like the old Hyuga had said. But it had a tiny elevation, for what Shikamaru could appreciate while he walked through the leafy bushes. The most logical was that water tended in the opposite direction in rainy days, dragin anything with its stream down the small slope.

But depending on the trees deposition and the force and amount of the water, the thing he was looking for could had taken uncountable possible directions. He would have to search the length and breadth of the sector. He designed a fast grid in his mind and started from one extreme, lighting his way with the torch.

As he searched, he was thinking what aspect the body would have when he found it, if he found it. Several weeks had passed, and that didn't meant anything pretty. If it was still submerged in water, it would be swollen, pale and gelatinous. If it was over dry ground, it would be eaten by insects and scavengers animals. And probably rotten. That gave him a chill. It wouldn't be easy to look at it. But apparently, he was disposed to do that, just to find out more about what that evil and disgusting clan was doing.

He searched, and searched, and searched for almost two hours, turning mosquitoes away from his face and stumbling with huge roots. He had gone all the way over there, and he didn't want to give up. But when he was starting to consider it, a strong, penetrating smell reached him. It was nauseating. Coughing and containing the urge to vomit, he covered his nose with his shirt's neck. Damn, that could be it.

He walked towards where the stench became more intense, trying to breath the least as possible. About 30 meters ahead, after sliding away a huge leaf, he found it: Hiro's body, with a big hole in its head, was lying on the ground, putrid and surrounded by flies and their larvae.

It was too much. He let the leaf go and turned around, bending. He just couldn't help to throw up a little.

Coughing harder, he clenched his eyes shut and tried to control himself.

This was indeed tough. But if he didn't do it, he couldn't confirm his suppositions. The idea that the body rotting behind him could be Neji's froze his blood. The Hyuga's big, terrified eyes in that horrible night came to his mind, and he knew there was no way he was backing up.

"Get a grip", he told himself, and turned around.

Holding the torch aloft, and trying to keep his shirt covering his nose, he approached the corpse. It was disgusting and disturbing, but he was just too close. He had come too far to have second thoughts.

He knelt down next to it, and gave it a superficial look. Luckily it was facing up, so he didn't need to touch it. What interested him should be under the white blouse. He thanked that Hyugas used those crossed robes, because he didn't have to lift the whole fabric, but just move it away a bit.

He extended his fingers, and pinched it with his index and thumb, driving it back slowly.

And there it was. The burnt mark of the Gasei Seal over the slightly green skin of the boy's chest. Shit. He wished he had been wrong.

He didn't need to see any more, so he got up and took the path back to Konoha. His brain was a clade of data. What he had just confirmed, and the tense situation he had witnessed that day between Neji and the two Main House assholes, told him a couple of things: the first one, was that Neji was in danger of being kill to steal his chakra. The second one, was that Neji was on danger of being abused, or something, by his own clan.

The fear of those realizations made him feel terrified like never before. He knew it was time to stop delaying things. He had to act on this, at least provisionally, until he find a better way of fixing that inconceivable situation. He didn't want to ask himself why was he so determined to take the issue in his own hands.

He reached the village and went straight to his house, intending to get some sleep, but he quickly understood that it was naive to believe that. The next hours were a calvary. Not only the terrifying image of Hiro's rotten body kept coming to his mind, but also did the names of all those Branched House Members he had seen in the Hospital's archive. The awful thought of Neji being one of them hunted him. At the same time, the pression of having to take a decision he didn't want to take, but knowing that not to take it will be a selfish act, was making him crazy.

There was no point in trying to sleep. So hours latter, with the first light of day, he stood up from his bed and went directly to the Hokage Mansion.

It was practically desert. Activity wouldn't start until one more hour, and most workers hadn't arrived yet. He walked with his hands in his pockets through the empty hallways, and stopped only when he got to the postal office. There, any shinobi could deposit a letter in a mailbox, that would be delivered at the next day. Shikamaru took a paper from a pile that was over a desk, and then a brush from jar of ink. He quickly write a clear missive. He didn't need to think it too much, he had already designed the message in his head during that night. When he finished, he grabbed an envelope, put the note inside and specified the recipient's address. After, he walked to the mailbox, and slid the letter inside, feeling like he was stabbing himself in the middle of the chest.

  


**Short chapter! But with  a lot of information. Hope you are still interested in this plot.**

**Till next week!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Shikamaru’s POV**

 

It was mid afternoon. Shikamaru walked heavily through Konoha streets, dragging his feet. At his side, his friend Ino kept talking about a stupid fight she had had with Sakura, and he couldn't care less. He was just tolerating her unnecessary monolog as to stay busy with something.  For the last four days, he had only met with Neji in brief moments and in company of other people, so they hadn't interactuated much. That thanks to the Nara's constant caution from not getting near the Hyuga. After he sent that letter, he couldn't avoid having a strange sensation in his body. He didn't know how to describe it, but it felt like his entire flesh was made of glass, and had suddenly cracked a little.

Somehow, he had managed to never stay with the other ninja alone. He didn't wanted to. Mostly, because he wasn't sure if he will be able to hold Neji's big lilac eyes stare. What if that feeling of being fragile as cristal came to him then? He needed to get it together and regain his slacky and relaxed attitude.

The problem was that, when he wasn't with the Hyuga, he was thinking about him anyway. Or in many things that were related to him. Although he tried to stay distracted, a dozen times he found himself digging into Konoha library and at various offices, looking for more and more useful information to clarify things. And even the tiniest detail he found about the Hyuga clan, made his neurons bristle.

He was trying to concentrate in Ino's unending story, when a girl's voice saluted them. It was Tenten, who was approaching cheerfully. The two kunoichis began talking, and Shikamaru just stood there with his hand on his pockets and an expression of absence. When he was already too bored, he started feeling the urge of going over some documents. Maybe paying more attention to the Hyuga's domains map he could deduce something. Or perhaps he should innocently interrogate someone. Like Hinata, for example.

Damn. It kept happening. In the second he let his mind roll, his thoughts went back to the same subject. And his body tried to obey the impulse. He couldn't help it. It was like if a strong cord was pulling from him.

-Excuse me, girls. -he finally said with a lazy voice, interrupting his friends. -I’ll get back to work. See you around.

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Tenten:

-Are you going to the Hokage's Mansion? -she asked. -I'm going there too. We can go together.

Shikamaru shrugged.

-Sure.

Ino say goodbye and took the way to the Yamanaka flower's store. The other two started walking slowly. After a short silence, the girl spoke.

-So, how have you been? -she was smiling in a weird way.

-Just fine. -Shikamaru answered, looking sleepy. -You?

-Oh, all right, you know. Waiting for missions and training with Neji, like always. -she said. -Speaking of whom, have you seen him lately?

The Nara rose his eyebrows, thinking that it was a strange question.

-At whom? -he played distracted.

-At Neji. -Tenten replied with patience.

-No. -he made a pause. -Have you?

The kunoichi giggled.

-Of course, I told you I've been training with him. And... You two have been spending some time together too, riiiiiight?

What the hell was that tone? Shikamaru couldn't avoid to suspect that that conversation had a trap

-Have we? -he asked again, pretending complete disinterest.

-He's been staying in the Nara forest, haven't him? -Tenten gave him a rogue look.

-Yeah, he needed a place to crash. -he explained calmly. -Doesn't mean we have met much. He's using and old store cabin.

-A antique cabin in the middle of a solitary forest. -Tenten said, acting a dreamy voice. -Sounds romantic. -Shikamaru widened his eyes, and swallowed hardly. -A very good place for a first kiss.

A panic chill run up his spine.

-What? -he asked, and turned his face to look at the girl.

She just gave him a big smile, and after short seconds, winked. The boy titled his head back a little and stopped walking slowly.

-Did you just wink at me? -he questioned.

-Heck yeah, naughty boy. -she told him grinning and stopping as well. -I know what you did.

He felt terror rising in his body. What the fuck? How could she know? Neji had been the one that established the _not telling anyone_ rule. But he couldn't show he was freaking out. He had to look completely disconcerted.

-What the hell are you talking about? -he questioned frowning and shaking his head.

Tenten put her hands at her hips.

-Oh, please. Who do you think you are kidding? I know what's going on between you boys.

Bullshit. She knew nothing, and Shikamaru wasn't falling into that.

-You are crazy, woman. -he simply said, and started to walk again.

At his back, the kunoichi laughed softly.

-Don't worry. -she added. -He likes you too.

The Nara freezed at that, not expecting it at all. Was that a proven affirmation, pronounced by Neji’s lips? Or was she just teasing with him? He turned again by inches.

-Did he said that? -he asked, in a very low tone.

Tenten giggled once more.

-Why? Are you interested? Guess I wasn't that crazy after all, mh?

He give the girl an annoyed look, but kept turning until he was facing her.

-You are. -he replied. -I'm just asking if he really said that cause I don't get anything of what you're talking about. So, did he told you that or what?

Tenten crossed her arms and made a proud expression.

-He didn't want to tell me, but I figured it out. So I insisted and he finally had to admitted it.

Shikamaru tried his best to control his face. What if that was true and Neji had really confessed it to her? He didn't know how to answered.

-Not that he really needed to admitted it, cause he was totally obvious. -the kunoichi continued. -And so were you, “ _great tile defeater_ ”.

The boy flushed noticeably, and felt extremely embarrassed. He had said many stupid things just to make the Hyuga laugh, but they weren't mean to be heard by anyone else.

He hesitated nervously before responding.

-That was just a conversation -he said grumpily. -Why were you hearing us, anyway?

Tenten waved her hand, acting relaxed.

-Don't feel pressured. I'm not judging you. Actually I wanted to congratulate you. It's great that someone has finally reach Neji's heart.

Heart? He had reach Neji's heart? That stunned him, and he went blank for some seconds, thinking that a tiny new chance had just lighten up between his possibilities.

-So, -the girl went on, at his still startled face. -Are you going to ask him out or what?

That took him back to reality, and he shook his head vehemently.

-What? No! Are you insane, woman? And who does that, anyway?

Tenten rose an eyebrow.

-What? Go out on dates? -she asked.

-Yeah. -the Nara affirmed. -It’s lame.

The girl smiled wide again.

-Right, I guess you prefer the cosy intimacy of the Nara forest. -she said.

-Would you shut up? -he spat between his teeth. -This is stupid, and someone could hear you.

-Oh, c'mon. -she insisted. -Why it's so hard for both of you to accept that you have feelings for each other?

-What?! -he yelled, finding himself cornered. -Who said anything about feelings?

The kunoichi put her hands at her hips once more.

-Oh, okay. How will you call what's going on between you two then?

He was freaking out so much that he just threw next the words without thinking.

-Ocasional sex. -he stated. -Have you never heard about that?

Tenten jaw dropped, and he realized he had screwed things up. He closed his eyes shut.

-Oh gods! -the girl exclaimed, while he snapped his face with his hand. -I can't believe this!

-You said you knew! -he looked at her shocked.

-I knew some things had happened, but I didn't knew what. -she gave little excitement jumps. -This is so cute!

Shikamaru wanted to hit himself on the head with a rock, or to explode right there, and be erased from that situation. He went red as a tomato. How could have he let himself be cheat like that?

In that moment, two figures appeared in the road and approached to them. They were Hinata and Sakura. The still startled Nara tried to regain his composure.

-Hi, guys. -Sakura greeted them, and then studied Shikamaru's face. -Are you okay? -she asked. -You look a little red.

The boy cleared his throat, ignoring Tenten side stare.

-The sun is strong today, I guess. -he answered.

Sakura didn't pressed.

-Have any of you seen Neji? -she questioned.

-No. -Tenten replied. -Why?

-A letter arrived for him at home this morning. -Hinata said, and Shikamaru saw she had a envelope in her hand.

Could that letter be the response to his? So quickly? He decided not to comment anything.

-I’m sorry, I haven’t seen him today. -Tenten told the shy kunoichi. -But if I do I'll tell him you are looking for h... Look! -she suddenly pointed at something behind the girls. -There he is!

Indeed, there he was. Neji walked in their direction, probably heading to the Hokage's Mansion too. Shikamaru felt the hairs of his nape bristle with anticipation.

-Neji-niisan! -Hinata called the boy, who saw them and went straight to the group.

-Hello. -he saluted.

Shikamaru pretended he didn't noticed Tenten silly looks, and just greet with a move of his head.

-This came for you today. -the Hyuga's cousin said, handing him the letter.

-What is it? -Neji asked, analyzing the missive.

-I don't know. -the girl answered.

-Open it! -Sakura encouraged him.

After a second, the boy did. He ripped the envelope and took the paper that was inside. He read it slowly, and shortly his eyes went wide.

-What does it say? -Tenten questioned.

Neji took a moment to respond. He read the document one more time.

-It says I have been summoned to be part of the frontier troop. -he finally told them.

Shikamaru felt a knot in his throat. Damn it, he didn't expected such fast results.

-Oh, Neji-niisan! -Hinata exclaimed, joining her hands. Apparently he agreed with his cousin in the thought that being out of Konoha was the best for him.

-Congratulations, Neji! -Sakura said.

The Hyuga boy kept looking at the letter, obviously stunned.

-Congratulations? -Tenten asked. -Buy for that you should leave the village! You are not accepting, are you?

Neji finally looked up, and met his friend stare. After a short silent, he answered.

-Well, yes.

No hesitation. Shikamaru felt made of glass again, but this time it was like he was being hit by a wave of stones.

-What??! -Tenten couldn't believe her ears. -You want to leave?

Neji gave her a pity look.

-You know this is good for me. -he told her.

Shikamaru couldn't stay there anymore. He cleared his throat again, and spoke:

-Sorry, people, I have to go. -he turned around, and directed to Neji, while starting to walk away. -Congratulations, Hyuga.

Behind him, the boy seemed to notice something strange.

-What’s wrong? -he asked, and the Nara stopped only a second to slightly looked at him.

-Nothing. I just have to go. See you.

He got out of there as fast as he could. He needed to put himself as far away as possible from Neji.

Why had he had to be present in the exact moment the Hyuga opened the letter? If he had not seen that, he could at least still have the foolish supposition that the boy had doubt about it. But no. He knew the devastating truth: Neji didn't questioned his plans at any moment.

Devastating? What was wrong with him? Why was he being so dramatic? The Hyuga had told him very clearly that this was what he wanted to do. He always knew this outcome was the one with more probabilities of happening. What was he expecting? That the boy considered staying?

Yes, actually. Deep inside his chest, he knew that what he hoped was at least a little doubt, or maybe an instant of reflection. But there had been nothing of that. And what hurt the most, was realizing that the chance of that happening had never actually been there.

He walked fast as a lightning and passed the Hokage Mansion, with his clenched fists stuck in his pockets. He crossed the training fields, and took a tree-lined path that later joined with the Nara forest.

In his mind, his thoughts kept getting more and more dark. He remembered the last night he had passed with Neji at the cabin. He had naively considered that the different thing he had felt in Neji's kiss could have been feelings towards him. But now he understood that it was a completely different kind of emotion: pity. That was why the boy had asked if he was not afraid of being hurt. He knew the Nara wasn’t just attracted to him.

Shikamaru felt sorry for himself too. How could he had become so pathetic? And so sensible? Why did all this problem affected him so much?

He had closed his eyes strongly and frowned deeply, without stopping his march, when suddenly, a known sound came from a side of the path. He opened his lids and saw a slender female deer that bellowed at him.

-Fuck, no, please. -he said, deteining his walk and taking a hand to his face. -Not now.

This definitely wasn't his day. His brain was just too beaten to cope with his drunken father. And besides, he was so angry and frustrated that it would be harder than usual to resist the urge of hitting back.

He needed to settle himself. Squeezing his eyes with his fingers, he took a deep breath. The faster he took care of this, he fastest he could go to some lonely corner of the forest to hide and feel miserable. He felt a raspy tongue at his other hand, and opened his eyes, to see the young deer licking him affectionately. He patted her head gently, and started walking toward the bar where his father always got drunk.

The last hour and a half was a total chaos. His dad had chosen a very bad day to have one of his worst performances. It had been really hard to get him out of the bar, because he kept turning around to yell and threat other drunk men, that wouldn't stop provoking him. Everybody there knew how Shikaku used to get, and some guys made fun of him. The bartender always let him come back because he feel sorry for the man. It wasn't a nice thing to watch.

He finally managed that his father took the way home with him, but had to help him stay up all the time. Meanwhile, Shikaku babbled insults and tantrums usually incomprehensible. His breathe of alcohol made Shikamaru remember all the moments similars to this one that he had already lived.

They had only made a few meters into the forest, when his dad pushed him away with unexpected strength. The boy staggered backwards but regain his balance, and he prepared himself for anything. But the man just rose his face to the sky and screamed the same things he used to scream, about him being weak and stuff like that. Somehow, Shikamaru had always thought that his father was not actually talking to him in those moments. Sometimes, what he said made him understand that he was referring to a third person, that wasn't there. He had never tried to decipher that, anyway. He thought his father was old enough to get his own shit together by himself.

He inhaled resigned and stood standing there, letting the man finish his delirious speech. His mind got back to Neji, and his thoughts roll down a pendent. He got so distracted that he didn't noticed his father turning to face him, and throwing him a powerful punch in the face.

Shikamaru hit his back to a tree, and covered his head, expecting another blow. But it didn't come. He lowered his arms and saw the drunken Shikaku stumbling a couple of times, and then falling unconscious on the ground.

The boy let himself fall down the tree trunk and sat in the dirt. Damn troublesome man. Now he was feeling pain inside and outside. His lip had a cut, almost in the same place that the last time, and it was bleeding over his chin. This day couldn't get worse.

He let the minutes passed, sensing the light of the sun starting to vanish and the sky beginning to get dark. Both mis mind and his body were exhausted, and he would have done anything to stop thinking for just a second.

Finally, he got up and formed the seals for the shadow possession jutsu. Then he made his senseless father stand up, and started walking towards his house behind him. He would let him in his bed and then probably run to throw stones at the lake.

After short minutes of march, a sound that came from between the bushes called his attention. When he looked at the exact point, he was startled to find Neji, who was looking at him, also surprised.

Shit, he had crossed in the path to the cabin, not realizing it. He should have foreseen that he could run into the Hyuga at that hour.

The older ninja looked at his puppet father, and then at him, noticing the blood in his mouth. He made an pity expression, and the Nara didn't like what that made him feel.

-Don't look at me like that. -he said seriously.

Neji seemed to get worried at his hard tone, and made a step closer.

-Again? -he asked. -Kami, Shikamaru. Can I help you somehow?

-No, it's fine. -he said sharply. -You should go pack.

The Hyuga frowned slightly, but relaxed his stare quickly.

-I have three days to get ready to leave. -he said.

-Great. Glad you finally got your temporary solution. -he boredly diverted his eyes a little at saying this.

Neji took a little time to process that words, and finally answered:

-Temporary? It is the only thing I can do. Do you have a problem with that?

Shikamaru shrugged.

-No, I'm just saying it doesn't really fix anything. Like I've told you, it's nothing but a delay. So it's a little stupid.

-Are you calling me stupid? -the Hyuga questioned, hardening his tone.

-No, I'm calling what you are doing stupid. -the Nara replied with total calm.

-I told you this is what I was going to do if I got the chance, and you said you were fine with that. -Neji said, more angry at each second. -What is wrong with you?

Shikamaru finally meet his stare, not being able to contain his rage either.

-Nothing, I just think you are taking a very dumb decision.

The older boy widened his eyes.

-At least I am doing something to deal with my problem, unlike you. -he said, pointing at the unconscious Shikaku.

Damn. Point taken, but he wasn't going to admit that.

-That's completely different. -he affirmed.

-Is it? -Neji just retorted.

-Yeah, -the younger boy pressed, tightening his fists. -At least I'm not hiding like a scared child.

Neji couldn't believe what he has hearing. He shook his head and frowned even more.

-What?? Who the heck do you think you are to tell me this? -Shikamaru just clenched his teeth and hold the big cloudy eyes furious look. -Do you think that just because we spend a couple of nights together you know anything of what is good for me? We are not even friends, Nara.

Fuuuuuck. That was like an arrow to the heart. Shikamaru felt his body contracting with pain, but tried not to show it. “Man up”, he told himself, and simply blinked slowly.

-It's only an opinion, Hyuga. Do whatever you want. -he spat. -Night.

After that, he walked past the other ninja and left, not turning around once.

Neji didn't stop him. And it was the most logical, because he must surely be crazy mad at him. He felt frustration making a knot in his throat, and swallowed with difficulty, sensing a sudden ache behind his eyes.

He got to his house and dropped his father on his bed without much delicacy. He needed a cigarette, and the only ones he had left were in the storage cabin. He  searched among his dad's clothes, but found nothing. He decided that walking would do him good, and slowly went to the center of town to buy a package.

He had almost reach the store, when a hand in his arm stopped his march. He turned around to see Tenten's sad face.

-Can you believe what Neji said? -she asked. -I'm torn!

-Hmm. -was Shikamaru's only answer.

-I spent the whole afternoon trying to convince him of reconsider, but nothing. How is possible that he wants to go? And right now? When, you know...

She gave him a compassionated look. He was sick of being stared in that way.

-You put too much hope in that. -he simply said, turning his face away. -I told you it was nothing.

-But, I really thought that...

-You were wrong. -he interrupted her, and then took a deep breath that he let out slowly. -He just doesn't see me in that way.

Tenten hastened to try to comfort him.

-He does! I know he does! Maybe if you ask him to stay...

Shikamaru shook his head, resigned.

-It wouldn't work. This is what he wants. The sooner you accept it, the better.

The kunoichi seamed about to add something, but she finally let her arms fall at the sides of her body and lowered her shoulders with anguish.

The Nara stood with her for a few seconds of hard shared acceptation. Then, he just said goodnight and left with dejected step.

  
  


**Emotional chapter!**

**Thanks to all the kind people that support this story!**


	16. Chapter 16

  **Shikamaru’s POV**

 

During the next day, Shikamaru didn't leave the Nara forest at any moment. He spent hours just watching at clouds move between the treetops, and observing the calm waters of the lake shaking every time a fish jumped and disappeared in the depth again. He wished he could do that too: let himself sink until he hit bottom, and lie there forever.

He didn't go to work, expecting that no one noticed it. And if someone did, he didn't really care. He wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, because his mind was so troubled that he couldn't concentrate on anything. He just kept repeating in his head the stupid words he had said to Neji the previous night.

“You are such an idiot”, he told himself for the thousandth time. And the Hyuga should think that too, mostly because he had contradicted all his previous words. He had said that he was okay with the boy's plans, but then he had totally attacked him for them, and called his choice stupid. He must be damn bipolar, or maybe he was just going completely crazy.

He shouldn't be mad at Neji. After all, it was because of his letter that the boy was now able to join the frontier troop. He should be mad at himself. And he was. Actually, he was his less favorite person in the world at that moment.

In two days, the Hyuga would leave. He had that very clear now. There was no chance of changing his mind. And Shikamaru understood it. Konoha was a very dangerous place for the boy, given the circumstances. And the Nara knew he would probably do exactly the same if he were in his shoes.

Night came, and he still had not been able to sleep at all, same as the day before. His brain was a big mess of frustration and contradictory thoughts.

But in the deepest part of his conscience he knew there was no point in letting himself fall into depression. He had little time to fix what he had done, and if he didn't do it, Neji would probably hate him forever. He had to talk with him before he left, or he will regret it.

Swallowing his pride, he decided that that was exactly what he would do the next day. If the Hyuga allowed him to.

  


**Neji’s POV**

 

He was standing next to a desk at an office of the Hokage Mansion, scrambling some documents he needed to be able to leave the village. He had to present his missions summary, to demonstrate that he had accomplished with all of them an that he wasn't leaving any incomplete work behind, so he was trying to reunite all his reports.

He hadn't seen Shikamaru the passed day, and he was glad, because he had no desire of meeting with him. Every time he remembered the things the Nara had told him, he went angry again. He didn't expect that reaction at all. Of all people, he thought Shikamaru would understand him the most, since he had explained his situation to him before, and the boy had seemed to get it. Although it sounded a little bit exaggerated, he felt betrayed somehow.

But if the other ninja wanted to be mad at him, he didn't care. He had never mind about him before, and he would simply go back to that. He needed to concentrate in getting himself ready for his new job.

Hinata was very happy with his summonition, and he was sure that his uncle would be too. Hanabi had gotten a little sad, but she was a good kid and understood that this was a great opportunity for him. He wished he could return to his house to spend the last days with his cousins.

Besides, he wasn't comfortable with staying in the Nara forest after the fight he had had with Shikamaru. But luckily, the boy hadn't shown up yet, and hopefully, he wouldn't. The Nara had been very clear about what he thought of Neji's plans, so surely he wouldn't have anything else to say to him.

He was so distracted with his thoughts, that he didn't notice a particular charka approaching. But suddenly, a figure that appeared in the door frame made him rose his stare.

It was Shikamaru, who just stood in the entrance with his hands in his pockets, looking at him with a very tired expression. Neji frowned and ignored him, returning his attention to the documents he had scattered on the wooden surface in front of him.

After long seconds, he sensed the Nara approaching to him, and stopping just a few inches behind the desk. The Hyuga acted like he was not there, though we was still frowning. A whole minute passed, so he finally moved his eyes up a little to slightly look at the other boy. But he saw that Shikamaru had his lids closed, and was tightening his lips with a strange grimace. That was odd. Neji just waited, watching him carefully. Finally, the Nara took a deep breath that he let out slowly, and lowered his head, not opening his eyes yet.

-I'm sorry. -he said with a raspy voice.

The Hyuga looked at the desk again, and answered nothing. Apologizing wasn't going to fix things just like that. He was really mad.

-I shouldn't have said those thing. -Shikamaru continued. -I acted like a jerk.

-You did. -Neji replied seriously, not turning to look at him.

-I know. -the Nara agreed. -It just that... -he made a short pause, and the Hyuga perceived that he clenched his fists inside his pockets. -I really hate your stupid clan, and that damn Curse Seal. -at hearing this, the older boy rose his stare, but Shikamaru had his now barely open eyes fixed on the floor, and was frowning noticeably. He relaxed a little, and continued in a resigned tone. -I wish there was another way. But there's not. So, this is truly the best for you. And I also think you should do it.

That was brutally honest. Neji wasn't expecting to hear something like that. No one hated his clan and his seal more than him, so he could understand Shikamaru's feelings. It had just taken the boy a little while to get things as they were. He felt his anger drifting away.

-Thank you. -he finally said. -I know the feeling. My clan provokes that.

-Yeah… -the Nara only replied with almost no energy, and he slowly lifted his head to look at Neji. -But again, I’m sorry.

He had to admit to himself that he was moved. So he gave the younger boy a side smile.

-It's okay. -he told him, and they both stared into eachothers eyes. At doing so, Neji notice that  the Nara not only had very profound and dark lines under his eyes, but also had an evident redness on the edge of his lids. He knew it was the result of not sleeping at all, and that made him worry. -You look terrible.

Shikamaru blinked slowly and answered with a very hoarse voice:

-I feel terrible.

Concern was immediately reflected in the Hyugas eyes, and at seeing it, Shikamaru shook his head to rest importance to the matter.

-Forget I said that. Actually I'm fine. -he tried to fix it. -I just need to sleep.

-You really look like you do. -Neji replied.

-Yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to take that off my chest, and make sure we're still cool.

-We are. -the Hyuga answered reassuringly.

The boy made a twisted smile and lowered his shoulders, looking relieved.

-Good. I leave you now. I'll go sleep til next week.

Neji exhaled a little laugh, and say goodbye to him. He watched the lazy ninja part away with a heavy step, and couldn't help to feel bad for him.

He stared through the window, expecting to see Shikamaru when he left the Hokage Mansion. And he did. The Nara walked with his hands in his pockets heading to his house, and he looked like he was about to fall asleep at any minute. He was so drowsy, that he crashed against a statue that was in the middle of his way, as if he hadn't seen it at all. He shook his head to tried to awaken himself a little, and continued his path, dragging his feet.

As he watched him go, Neji felt a ponderous load inside his chest.

  


 

He woke up very early the next morning, because it was the day in which he will leave the village. He would part away at noon, along with a shipment of provisions for the frontier. All along the trip, there would just be him and the wagon driver. He took one last look at the interior of the cabin, wondering if he would ever enter in that place again. After getting his things, he left the Nara forest, thinking that he wanted to spend his last hours with his cousins, and he headed to his house. There, he had the pleasant surprise of finding his uncle, who had came back the night before. The man was very happy to see him, and congratulated him about his summonition, of which Hinata had already told him. He was incredibly understanding, and assured to Neji that he had his family’s full support. They ate breakfast all together, and the boy realized that he was really going to miss them. When the time of leaving got near, he took his backpack and said goodbye to Hiashi and Hanabi. Hinata walked off the house next to him.

-You don't have to accompany me, Hinata-sama. -he told the girl.

-I do. All the teams will go to say goodbye to you. -she answered.

He had never imagined anyone else than his family and his own team wanting to say goodbye to him. But it was true. When they reached Konoha's entrance, he saw the four teams waiting for him, along with his sensei. Shikamaru was there too, with his hands in his pockets, and a calm expression that made him think that he had finally been able to rest. He was happy to find him there, because it could be the last time they will see each other. Guy didn't miss a second and hugged him strongly, tearing a little, but smiling at the same time.

-I'm so proud of you, Neji-kun! -the man said to him. -You'll be protecting our land from external threats, like a mightfull young warrior! Oh, but we will miss you so much!

A little embarrassed, the Hyuga managed to free himself from the emotional embrace.

-Thank you, sensei. I will miss all of you too. -he answered.

But as soon as Guy let him go, Tenten pounced over him and gave him an almost painful hug.

-I can't believe this is really happening! -she shouted at his ear. -We will be waiting for you at all time if you want to come back. And I'll write to you every day!

-Neji-kun! You have honored us with your friendship! -Lee screamed, highly moved. -We will never forget you!

-Thank you, guys. -he said, while Tenten took a step back. -But we will surely see each other again sometime. Don't be sad.

-Oh, Neji, we're all going to miss you! -Ino added, and almost all the others agreed with affectionate comments.

Almost all, because Kiba just nodded resentfully, and Shikamaru kept silent.

-We should've thrown you a goodbye party! -Naruto exclaimed. -We will make you one when you get back some day.

One by one, the ninjas that had been his classmates wished him good fortune. Shikamaru was the last one, and he simply smiled to him, and told him, looking at him in the eyes:

-Good trip, Hyuga. And good luck.

Neji smiled at him as well.

-Thank you, Shikamaru. -he answered, and they briefly stare at each other for a few more seconds.

The provision wagon was waiting for him, so he gave his teammates and Hinata a last hug, and started walking away next to it. He turned his head a few meters ahead, and everybody waved at him. Except for Shikamaru, who simply watched him leave with an unreadable expression.

He turned his stare to the path again, but he felt the need of seeing the Nara one last time. So he activated his Bakugan, and watched him. But what he saw made his heart shrink: inside one of his pockets, Shikamaru was strongly fisting a little object. It was the small sculpted stone Neji had gave him in Saoritoshi.

  


**Shikamaru’s POV**

 

He spend the day with his team, thinking that it will distract him. After saying goodbye to Neji, the three members of team ten  went to Ichiraku's store to have lunch. He tried to chat and look relaxed, but it was too tough. He still had a hard knot in his throat, that didn't let him speak with regularity. After intending a few forced jokes, he decided that the best was to not participate in the conversation, and just act sleepy.

After eating, they went to the training fields, supposedly to train, but they didn't, as always when his sensei wasn't around. Ino and Choji talked cheerfully, and Shikamaru just lay on the grass and stared at the clouds. They were puffy and white, and their slow movement helped him relaxed his mind. But when the sun started its descence, they began to acquire a slight lilac tone. Like big turbulent pools of lavender. He couldn't help but to think in Neji's enormous and expressive eyes nailed in his. And that made his heart shake with anguish.

But it was nothing compared to what he felt when the sun got closer to the horizon, and the clouds turned from that light lilac to a brighting and vibrating pink. Immediately he remembered the Hyuga's aroused look, along with his wet lips and his slippery tongue. Those moments of excitement had been so strong that Shikamaru had thought that he could never evoque them without turning on. But now, they just made him go tense from pain, at realizing they may never happen again.

He closed his eyes, not being able to bear the sight of that color directly in front of his face. Thankfully, he always tended to sleep when he and his friends lie like that in the grass, so they didn't find it strange.

When night came, he started walking to the Nara forest, but almost unconsciously he diverted the road to his house. He wasn't hungry at all, and he knew sleeping would be a titanic task again, so he decided that the best thing to do was to confront the constant ache in his chest, and face his turbulent thoughts. He headed to the cabin in which Neji had been staying, with his head low and a dragged step. Inside his left pocket, the tiny Rubit rosary weighed as if it were made of lead.

He reached the little hut, but stopped before entering. He didn't know if he was ready to look at the sheets that the Hyuga had abandoned in the floor. Mostly, because he thought he will feel just as derelicted. So he turned his back to the door and stared into the dark depth of the forest.

Although it was as full of creatures as ever, the woods felt incredibly lonely. The thick silence made him feel even more empty. “It is the best for me”, Neji's words resonated inside his head. And sorrow extended all over his body. Why? Why couldn't there be another way? Why did that had to be the best for the Hyuga? Why couldn't it be staying with him?

He felt so pathetic and lame again. “What would you be a better choice than leaving? Don't be ridiculous”, he told himself. But the realization was too strong. He closed his eyes and clenched the little stone in his fist. Overwhelmed, he took a deep breathe, but couldn't help to let it out shakily.

Suddenly, a known sound that came from behind him made him rose his head and turned it a little. Moving his ears with what Shikamaru interpreted as concern, Suimin was staring at him. The Nara gave the animal a side smile.

-Hey, buddy. Can't sleep either?

The big deer approached to his owner and licked his face with affection, bellowing lowly.

-I't okay. -he told the beast. -I'm just having a shitty night.

Shikamaru rose his hand to tap Suimin's snout, and the enormous animal leaned his head to support it on the boy's shoulder. It was the closest thing to a hug that he could gave him, and the gloomy ninja felt moved. He put his arms around the wide and furry neck, and hold to it, burying his face in the thick pelage. He sensed the back of his eyes aching with repressed tears, and his whole body shuddered.

  


**Neji’s POV**

 

The frontier troop was organized in a very meticulous way. There were several posts placed along the Land of Fire's border, which were guarded by groups of six ninjas and a leader. Every two weeks, the groups exchanged locations and members, to stay alert and don't get lethargic. Indeed, watching the frontier was a very monotonous job. Most of the time, nothing relevant happened. But it was a good sign that everything was quiet.

Neji spent the first two weeks in the most remote post. His teammates didn't talk much, so silence was what he heard the most. He had a lot of time to think, and he found himself remembering Shikamaru with big frequence. He couldn't get the image of the Nara clenching the little stone out of his head. He knew that the boy had been afflicted by his departure, and that made him feel guilty, and sad.

Fortunately his first change of location came, because he needed some activity to distract his thoughts. He was assigned at the next post, with new teammates. The ninjas were mixed regularly to avoid creating tensions between them. The border could become a stressful area due to its tedious routine. The second group in which he was allocated was way more friendly. They were three men and two women in between 25 and 30 years old. Neji was just eighteen, and he felt a little nervous at seeing that there was a considerable big age difference. But the ninjas didn't seemed to care about it. They did the routine controls all together in a good humor and with great camaraderie, guided by an almost mid age woman that was their leader. Neji didn't talk much, but felt comfortable among them.

At night, they returned to the camp settled at the foot of a watchtower, and sat in front of the fire, surrounded by their tents.

The conversation flowed relaxed while they ate.

-Tell us about you, Neji. -one of the woman said. -You are a Hyuga. It's great to have a Bakugan user in the border. Very practical.

-Indeed. -the leader said with a nodd. -You did a good work today in the patrol.

-Thank you. I will try to do my best. -Neji answered grateful.

-So, how did you get to the frontier? Most of us were suggested by our senseis. -another ninja asked.

-I got a letter saying that I had been recommended. -he explained. -But I don't know by whom. I don't think it has been my sensei.

The members of the team seemed to think about that.

-Must have been the Nara kid. -other man finally concluded. -He always nails it.

Neji felt his heart froze. What had that guy say??

-Yes, probably. -said the first woman. -Wouldn't be the first time that captain Gushiken takes a recommendation from him.

The Hyuga felt fear. He had to ask.

-What Nara kid? -he questioned, trying to keep his calm.

-It's this very smart guy from the village. But like, ridiculously intelligent. -a ninja explained to him. -He had designed strategies and routes for us many times. And they always work perfectly.

-The frontier troops really like him because all his plans have the priority of keeping the team safe at all times. And they are also very ingenious. -a woman added.

-The border captain is in very good words with him. He would take any suggestion that kid made to him. And I’ve heard he’s just a chunin -the leader affirmed.

Neji swallowed with difficulty. The description was just too accurate. It was almost impossible that they could be referring to someone else.

-I don't remember his name, though. -a kunoichi said. -It was a long name. Started with Shika, something, like all Naras.

-Shikamaru? -Neji asked, not wanting to know the answer.

-Yes! That’s the one! Do you know him?

The Hyuga felt the air in his lungs escape completely. But he made an effort to replied.

-We went to the Academy together. -was the only explanation he gave.

-Oh, then you must know how crazy smart he is. -one of the ninjas told him.

They kept praising Shikamaru for a little while, but Neji's brain was totally off his axis. Was that possible? And if it was, what the hell did it mean?

The Nara had totally attacked him for leaving, and then said that he agreed with him doing so. If he had made the recommendation to send him away, did he wanted Neji to leave, or to stay? He was absolutely confused.

During his round and then at the interior of his tent, where he was supposed to sleep, he couldn't stop his thoughts at any moment. He needed confirmation, and he knew that the only way of getting it was asking to he captain. But he was in the middle post, the principal and highest of the whole border, and Neji would pass by it in four weeks. It was a lot of time. He would have to bear the constant doubt until then.

 

During the next month, he tried to concentrate in his job. He toured the patrol routes with his companions, and wrote detailed reports that would later be sent to Konoha. But it was impossible not to think about Shikamaru. At nights, he reviewed all the conversation he had had with the Nara, trying to find a clue that help him understand the situation. But there was no case. He felt totally lost.

Finally, the day of moving to the principal post came. He parted with his teammates at early morning, and they reached the camp at noon. The captain's office was in the highest part of the watchtower. Neji dedicate himself to the programed tasks, deciding that he would tried to talk with the man that night.

When everybody sat in front of their tents to eat, the captain came down to say a few words to them. It was a tall, blond shinobi, of about 35 years old, and he had a very noble and at the same time serious expression. He just told them they were doing a good job, and gave his welcome to Neji. Then, he turned around to return to his office.

He had to take the opportunity. The Hyuga let his food in the floor and stood up, following the captain, who was already walking away.

-Gushiken-sama? -he called.

At the mention of his last name, the man stopped and looked back.

-Yes, Hyuga? -he asked.

-I was hoping that I could have a few words with you, if it is possible. -the boy said with great respect.

-Of course. -the captain answered. -Follow me to the tower. We can talk in my office.

Neji walked behind the man, and then they both went up the long stairs. There, Gushiken entered a small room that had only a desk, a few cabinets, and an enormous window. He took a quick look outside, and then returned his attention to the Hyuga.

-What do you want to talk about, boy? -he questioned.

-First of all, -Neji begun.- I wanted to thank you for summoning me. I am very happy about have been given this opportunity.

-You don't have to thank me. -the captain replied kindly. -You have earn it with hard work.

The Hyuga inclined his head in sign of gratitude, and then look back again to go to the point.

-I also wanted to ask you why did you choose me.

-To be honest, I had considered your name a while ago. You have a great missions summary, and you are a Bakugan user, which is really useful in the border. But being you a member of the Branch House, I didn't know if your clan would authorize your transfer. But a few days ago I got a recommendation from a shinobi I trust a lot, and I finally got decided. And I'm glad I did, because the teams leaders told me you are doing great so far.

-Thank you, sir. I'm trying to do my best. -Neji answered. -But I am surprised that someone had recommended me without telling me. Could you tell me who it was?

The man shrugged.

-Sure, I doubt he mind that you know. His name is Nara, Shikamaru. He's a very smart boy who made a lot of works for me in the last year, and I trust his word completely. He wrote a letter to me telling me that you were an impeccable shinobi, with excellent conditions, and that you would be a great addition to the frontier troops. And he's never wrong, so immediately after I read that, I summoned you. And I don’t regret it.

That was it. If there was still a tiny hint of uncertainty, it had disappeared. Neji hastened himself to thank the captain for his words, and left the office, because he needed to think about what he had just heard.

That night in his tent, he couldn’t stop his mind. Why had the Nara done this? Was it to help him? And if it was, why had he been such an ass about it? Also, Neji remembered the little emerald stone from Saoritoshi strongly clenched in the boy's hand. The Hyuga had thought that it meant that Shikamaru didn't want him to leave. But he had actually been the person who send him away. It was so complicated an unexpected.

Maybe he should have realized about the big coincidence: one day he told the Nara about his plans, and less than two week latter he got a summonition. How didn't he saw it? And besides, if Shikamaru had always had the power to get him in the frontier troop, why hadn’t he told him? Why did he have to be he so intricate? Why couldn't him just act honestly instead of behind Neji's back?

He needed an answer to all his questions. And the only way to communicate with people in Konoha was through letters. But if he wrote to the Nara, his teammates could find out, and he didn't want everybody thinking that he had been accommodated in the post. He couldn't direct the letter to him. So instead, he decided to write to Tenten, and ask her to interrogate the boy.

At the next morning, he grabbed a piece of paper from his backpack and explained the situation to his friend, begging her to try to find answers, without making a big scandal. “Please, be discreet”, he wrote. Then, he specified the address of the recipient in an envelope, and headed to the first floor of the watchtower, were shinobis could send and receive mail from the village. There he found out that he already had three letters from Tenten, and he read them all, but in none she mentioned Shikamaru. He let the envelope in the mailbox, wishing that the replied would came soon.

  


**Shikamaru’s POV**

 

He had thought that after Neji's departure he would be more relax, because there was nothing more he could do. But his brain had other plans: he simply couldn't stop thinking about the Hyuga clan. Every day, he woke up very early, after sleeping almost nothing, and went to the Hokage's Mansion, to stir between the cabinets of the different offices looking for something, anything. He had to be very careful so no one would notice him snooping around, but he was pretty good at sneaking. Anyway, despite his efforts, he found nothing relevant.

He went back to the library almost every day, and reread all the books about ancient clans history. He was completely obsessed. And it didn’t matter how many times he told himself he had to stop, because he just couldn't do it.

His team realized something weird was going on with him. But the Nara assured them that he was just very interested in the background of Saoritoshi's mission. It wasn't the first time he got bent on solving a case, and they didn't know there was a relation between the seals and the Hyugas, so they believed him. But even so, they insisted in taking him out to get some air from time to time.

One afternoon, after dragging him out of the library, the three members of team ten went to the Yamanaka flowers store, because Ino said the beautiful sight of the plants would help him chill out. It sounded stupid for him, because he didn't care about flowers at all. They were standing outside the shop, chatting lightly.

-See? Isn't way better to be outside in this beautiful day than locked inside between millions of books? -Ino asked him.

-No. I think being outside is overrated. -he answered boredly with his hands in his pockets. -But, whatever.

-Oh, come one, Shikamaru. -Choji told him with a kind smile. -You always prefer spending time with us than working. You should be more than happy now that we are doing nothing.

The Nara gave his friend a side smile.

-Yeah, and it's better than training, that's for sure. -he said.

But suddenly, a strident voice interrupted their talk.

-YOU!!!!

The three teenagers turned to the sound, and they saw a rabid Tenten walking like a lightning towards them, and pointing at Shikamaru with an accusing finger.

He took a look behind him and to his sides, trying to figure out who was she directing to. But at not seeing no one, and noticing that she was nailing her furious eyes in him, he rose a hand to his chest and asked disconcerted:

-Me?

-Yes, you!! -the girl screamed when she reached the group. -You are an asshole!!

Shikamaru titled his head back and widened his eyes in surprise.

-Wow! What the hell, woman? -he questioned.

But he didn't expect what came next.

-You send Neji away! -Tenten scolded him with fierce anger.

The Nara felt that his heart stopped beating.

-What are you talking about? -Ino asked.

Damn. How did she knew? And most important, did Neji knew too? At any case, he wished the earth would swallow him.

-You recommended him to the frontier captain! -the kunoichi kept yelling. -It's your fault that he's gone!

Shikamaru shook his head as if that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

-Where did you get that from? -he questioned.

-Neji's teammates told him it could have been you, so he asked the captain and he confirmed it. I just got a letter from him telling me everything.

The Nara closed his eyes, realizing that he had been caught.

-Stupid frontier ninjas. -he whispered between his teeth.

-So it's true? -Ino said confused, looking at him.

-Maybe... -he answered, opening his eyes slowly.

-“Maybe”? -Tenten repeated. -Oh, please, don't play dumb. How could you do this?!

-Do what? -he replied, now slightly annoyed. -I didn't do anything. He could've decline the offer.

-Right, like he was going to do that. -the girl spat.

-Then he did what he wanted. What's the problem with that?

The furious kunoichi stared at tim like he was out of his mind.

-Are you serious? He leaved and may never come back again! And it was because of you!

Shikamaru took a deep breathe, trying to control his rising anger.

-Look, I just gave him the possibility he had been waiting for. I didn't forced him to leave.

-But you knew he would! -Tenten insisted.

-I did not. -he said firmly. -I can't see the future, you know. I didn't knew what he was going to decide.

-Oh, so you had to take the risk? -the girl replied, putting her hands at her hips.

He didn't like to be talked like that, but less he liked being accused in front of his friends, who will probably asked him a million questions about the issue. He let out a hoarse laugh, that wasn't humorous at all.

-I'm sorry you feel bad for him leaving, but it was what he wanted to do. Don't blame it on me.

-How could I not blame you, if you caused it?! -Tenten said with a mix of fury and anguish. -Gods, Shikamaru, why did you do this?

There was no way to dissimulate. She knew, and Neji knew. He wondered if the Hyuga would be angry with him for not telling him, but he didn't care anymore. He took a deep breathe and made a step forward, facing the girl.

-I'll tell you why. Cause I wanted to give him what his fucking clan never gave him. A choice. A choice of deciding how he wanted to live his life, even if all his options sucked. At least it's better that nothing. And I'm sorry you're sad, Tenten, but I didn't send him away. He saw the opportunity, and took it. This is what he wanted. And you better get over it.

The kunoichi's eyes filled with so much emotion at hearing those words, that she lowered her head, holding her tears. Shikamaru didn't want to stay there another second. He turned his back to Tenten, and gave his teammates a last look.

-I'm out of here. -he said, and simply walked away.

  


**Sorry for the delay! Hope you enjoy this chapter**


	17. Chapter 17

 

**Neji’s POV**

 

Almost two month had passed when Neji finally returned to the central post. The wait was long and hard, and at no time he stopped thinking about what her friend would find out. At the first day his team arrived to the captain camp, he went directly to check if there was mail for him. And there was. Tenten response had arrived six weeks ago. He grabbed the letter and went straight to his tent to read it. Trying to manage his nerves, he paid great attention to each word the girl had written.

 

_Dear Neji:_

_I miss you so much! And also do Lee and Guy sensei. I hope you're doing okay in the border. But let's get to the point, which I know is what you are waiting for._

_I talked to Shikamaru. Maybe I wasn't as discreet as you wanted, but I was just so mad at him for sending you away! I totally accused him of being responsible for you leaving, and when I told him you had write to me explaining me everything, he didn't denied it. As if he could. Which means that yes, it was him. So I asked him why had he done it, and what he told me made me want to cry like a child. He said that he did it because he wanted to give you what your clan never gave you, that is, a choice of deciding for your own what you wanted for yourself. And I'm quoting here. He literally said that. It was the sweetest thing I heard in my life! And it was also heartbreaking, because I know he didn't wanted you to leave. Which means he did it despite of his feelings, because he wanted you to have what you always wished. I had no idea that he cared so much about you. I always thought he was a lazy ass that only minded about himself, but that selfless act made me realized he is actually a good guy. But you don't need me telling you all this, you will probably get to the same conclusion by your own. I’m sorry, I’m just so emotional. It just happened half an hour ago._

_Hope you don't get too down by this. Think that there's a nice guy that likes you so much that would act against his own desires to help you. And that is a beautiful thing._

 

_Love you, please write soon!_

 

He read the letter a million times. Shikamaru's words were so touching that he felt his hands trembling. He had taken the hard decision of recommending him, even though he didn't wanted him to leave. Neji remembered the day in which he had got the sumonition missive. Shikamaru had been there, and after Neji told Tenten he was going to take the offer, the boy had immediately gone away. And latter that night, he had get mad with him because of his choice. The Hyuga realized that most probably, the other ninja had hoped that he would reject the call. Maybe, he had thought that Neji could decided to stay in Konoha, with him. To imagine how Shikamaru could have felt at seeing that he hadn't even hesitated made him feel terrible.

Why had the boy made a move that would make him feel so bad? And only to help Neji? Why did someone do something that caused him pain, just to give another person what he wanted? He actually knew the answer, and he just couldn't take it.

He lowered his head closing his eyes, feeling as if a crack of sorrow opened in his chest. And for the first time in years, he cried.

 

 

**Shikamaru’s POV**

 

A few days after having told him he was an asshole, Tenten came to him to apologize. She gave him a sorry speech that he just accepted nodding and no making any comment. She was the only person that knew the things that had happened between him and Neji, and he felt very embarrassed when being around her. Mostly because she seemed to love speaking about them.

One month after the Hyuga left, he had run out of accessible places to look for information. There was nothing more that the library, the hospital and the gabbinets of the Hokage Mansion could tell him. He knew where he could find the most succulent data, but getting in there wasn't just as simple. It was needed a special permission. He had an idea that might work, though it was risky. It could also take many other twists that would end up being most than troublesome for him. But if he managed to direct the conversation in the right way, it could be an incredible success. And much easier than breaking into a place with constant surveillance.

It was so crazy ingenious, and at the same time so fun, that he was sure it will work. And besides, he needed something to lift his mood, and this idea was just irresistible.

He walked with no hurry to the Hokage Mansion. But when he reached the stairs of the big entrance, he turned and started surrounding the big construction, with his hands in his pockets and a bored expression. He stopped at some point, below one of the Godaime's lateral windows. He took a look around, and visualized a row of metallic balls hanging from a string, considerably close to the building. They were small traditional musical instruments, like rattles. When the wind rocked them, they emitted a pleasant trilling. And when there was no wind, it was normal that children threw rocks at them to make them clink. Shikamaru watched the window, and then the round objects again. They were pretty far away. But it wasn't hard to believe that someone so little athletic like him could miss the shot.

He kneeled and lift a bunch of little stones from the ground. Then he straightened, and threw one to the silver circles. He missed, intentionally, and then threw another, that hit the target. A nice jingle sounded in the air.

He spent around ten minutes doing this. Again and again. Sometimes he missed the balls, and sometimes he hit them. Occasionally, he threw a few in ridiculous directions, only to show that his aim sucked, in case someone was watching.

When he considered the right moment, he took a not so small rock and directed it crookedly to the Hokage's window. The projectile hit the thin glass, that broke in many pieces.

Immediately after, loud screams of fury came from inside the office. Shikamaru stood petrified, staring at the window. When Tsunade looked out and saw him with a bunch of rocks in his hand, watching at her stupidly, she went red from anger.

-NARA SHIKAMARU!!!! -she screamed. -GET HERE RIGHT NOW!!!

First phase completed. Now he had to choose his words intelligently. Acting concerned, he walked to the Hokage's office.

Once in front of the door, he knocked shily, and the tatami panel slid fast as a a lightning. Inside, Shizune was looking at him reproachfully, but it was nothing compared to Tsunade's stare. She was standing behind her desk with her hands crushing hard on the wood, and seemed like she wanted to kill him right there.

-What on earth do you think you are doing?! -she said rabid. -Why did you broke my window?!

-I didn't intended to break it! -he excused himself. -I'm sorry. I failed the shot.

-Yes, for like ten meters! -the woman answered.

Shikamaru lowered his head, and replied lowly:

-Yeah, I'm not very good...

-You think?! And you are seventeen years old already! Why are you throwing stones to the bells?!

-I was bored, I'm sorry! -he begged. -Really. It was an accident.

The Hokage stared at him with exasperation.

-You were bored? -she asked raising an eyebrow. -You broke one of my windows because you were bored?

Shikamaru swallowed, sincerely scared. The woman was about to strangle him at any minute.

-I didn't know what else to do! I mean I love free days, but I've been free for months. I never thought it was possible but I can't sleep any more than I've already had.

-Idle shinobis. -Tsunade whispered to herself, closing her eyes and frowning. -I hate them.

She kept silent for a long moment, so finally the Nara boy cleared his throat and spoke carefully:

-Well, I've said I'm sorry, soo... I better go and I stop interrupting.. -he made a slow step back.

The Godaime opened her eyes, which blazed with an internal fire.

-You think you're just going to walk away from this? -she questioned, nailing her stare on him.

Shikamaru pretended to think for some seconds, and then said, like he had just understood her:

-Right. I'll pay for the glass, of course.

Tsunade frowned deeper.

-Oh, you are doing more than that. -she sat behind her desk and looked at the papers scattered there. -If you're so bored as to break my windows, I better give you a job to do.

At first, the young ninja made an alarmed face, showing that he didn't wanted that. But then he put his hands in his pockets and lowered his head, resigned.

-Sure. I could classify and archive reports. -he agreed.

-There are no reports to classify, because there are no missions. -the woman said flatly.

-Riiiight... -was Shikamaru's dragged answer.

At hearing him, the Hokage rose her stare and looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

-How convenient for you. -she murmured.

-I'm sorry? -Shikamaru asked innocently, pretending that he didn't understood.

-Is this some weird trick? -Tsunade questioned him.

-Trick? -he just repeated, incredulously.

She took a deep breath that she let out slowly, obviously trying to control her annoyance.

-Please tell me this is not a crazy stratagem to get something from me.

The Nara snorted, amused.

-What could I be trying to get? -he just said.

Very seriously, the Godaime reclined on her chair and studied him.

-I don't know. Ino told me you are very interested in Gaara's sister. Maybe you want me to send you to Suna, so you can see her.

Shikamaru titled his head back with surprise.

-No! Please don't send me to Suna! It’s terribly hot. -Then he made a honest pout. -And I'm not interested in her. Ino’s just crazy. Why does she tell this to everyone?

The Hokage simply rose an eyebrow, not believing him.

-C'mon. I stupidly broke a window. And I really wished I haven't. -he affirmed. -I'm not trying anything. In what universe do I want to be assigned to a job? Can't I just, clean your office for a month or something?

She seemed to consider the idea, but then discarded it.

-No. I'm going to take this opportunity to make you do something useful. -she stated.

The Nara boy frowned.

-I'm not entering a lord council for breaking a window. -he said.

The woman smiled slightly.

-I know. But you could help with some of the current investigations. You are good at that.

Shikamaru passed his weight to his left leg and made a discomfort face.

-Troublesome... -he whispered.

Tsunade opened a drawer of her desk and stirred some papers.

-Let's see what we have here... -she started. -We have a missing pet. How are your cat chasing abilities?

-That's the most useful I can do? Please, there has to be something else. -he begged. The woman took a time to think, so he decided to just go for it. -What about the Gasei Seals thing? At what point is that?

The Godaime shared a look with Shizune, which Shikamaru didn't miss.

-Honestly, it's quite stagnant. We were just talking about it. The council assigned two shinobis to take care of it, but they haven't report anything yet. Which is strange, since you had already found the manufacturers hiding place.

The Nara processed that very quickly.

-Who did they assigned? -he asked.

-Two Hyugas. I don't remember their names.

A bell rang in his head. Hyugas, hum?

-Main House Hyugas? -he questioned.

-I think so. Why?

Shikamaru simply shrugged.

-I don't know. I just wondered. -he made a brief pause, pretending he was thinking. -I can't do much from here, I mean I should go all the way there to find out more and to confirm my theory of the monks and the Kin Temple. Or, I could do some investigation about the cult here, see if there are some antecedents of issues with them.

-The Hyugas are supposed to be investigating the dealers at their hideout. -Tsunade explained. -So you better stay away from there. We don't want them to realize that we find their delay strange. You could investigate the cult, but how?

Again, the Nara boy pretended to think.

-I could check for some clues in Konoha's Archive. -he finally said. -If there are antecedents, they must be there.

Apparently, that sounded alright for the Hokage.

-Fine. -she agreed. -I'll write you a permission to access. For, how long? A month?

Shikamaru widened his eyes.

-A whole month investigating? -he complained. -Was that glass made of diamond?

She only gave him a reproving look.

-A month. -was her final word, as she gave him a little form that she had just filled.

The young ninja took it, whining a little, and turned around to leave with his head down.

-Where do you think you're going? -the Hokage voice stopped him.

He looked at her, and saw that she was extending her palm up towards him.

-Pay for the window. -she said.

It cost him more than what he supposed the price of a window really was, but at least he had what he wanted: complete access to Konoha's archive. He didn't lose a second, and walked straight to it. When he showed the form with the Hokage's firm to the always bored and sleepy guardian, he felt like the most clever guy in the world. Amazingly, his ridiculous plan had worked. And now it was time to do some research.

That place was a paradise for him. Like the previous times he entered there, he had to contain his desire of reading every singe paper, to concentrate only in his objective. He would look for some information about the monks, of course, but his primal target was the Hyuga clan. He needed to find anything that could made him understand why could they act with so much impunity.

For the next week and a half he dove into that three-room armored building. Fortunately, his reading speed was incredible high. He could read 294 words per minute, according to the results of his IQ test years ago. That was way above normal. And combined with his great memory, he could very quickly record the details of many documents in his head, to have them stored there forever, for eventual uses. He went over missions reports and personal records, but also treaties and agreements of Konoha with external entities, and sometimes, internal too. He knew that the Hokage always had the last word, but that the Council had great influence in the resolutions. As for what Shikamaru had observed, their comments weren’t just opinions. Being Tsunade-sama young and inexpert at the charge, they followed all the cases very closely, to make sure she wasn't making mistakes. Or at least he had always perceived that. An the confirmation to his hypothesis was in the three thik signatures written in red ink at almost every document, belonging to the three members of the Council:  Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane and Danzō Shimura. The Godaime firm came below them, in the center.

Impressive. So very few thing didn't passed through the Council's hands. Only those matters that had exclusive captains assigned, which had a seal on their record indicating they were agents of extreme confidence, could take some individual decisions without approval. Like ROOT and AMBU, of course. Shikamaru didn't find that surprising. Danzō was in charge of ROOT, and was very involved with AMBU functioning, too. That was an expected pinch of corruption. Take advantage of the place you have to veneficiate yourself, was something he had seen many times. It seemed to be a common weakness of men.

But those weren't the only ones with free of action. There was another group that enjoyed that benefit. And it let him completely stunned: the Hyuga clan. He found tons of members of that family asking for special permissions, as to travel to enemy cities to trade or make pacts with them, soliciting licences for shinobis and even accessing to Konoha's treasure. How the hell was that possible? Why could the Hyugas do something like get their hands in the village's money without being questioned? He checked detailed reports about other clans, and he found nothing like a that. How could Tsunade-sama sign this?

He knew that people tended very easily to the dark side, but he blindly trusted his Hokage. Maybe the previous had had tricky relations with the Hyugas and the Council, but the Godaime wasn't a woman who would allow that. Besides, he thought that a firm in a paper didn’t really meant anything. The document could not have passed through her hands, and even so have her signature. He was aware of how actually simple was to falsify documents, because he had done it himself.

For every special request from a Hyuga, he checked the person's personal record. All them were Main House members, obviously. Hisao's name appeared many times, and that made his blood boil. Fortunately, he didn't find Neji's uncle not once. So apparently, he wasn't implicated.

Shikamaru stopped for a moment to analyze what he had discovered. All this autonomy, added to the fact that no explanations were required for the death of Branch House members, made the Main House a powerful machine with terrible reaches. They could literary use them for anything, even under the knowing of the Council, without being interrogate. But why? Only because they were a very old and prestigious clan? No, many clans were old and prestigious. Was it because they had the Bakugan, one of the most dangerous ocular jutsus that existed? It didn't seem likely. But he couldn't deny the possibility without checking it. He decided to look for coincidences in the relation of the Council with the other family that had a powerful ocular jutsu: the Uchiha clan.

He knew that all the members of the clan, except for Sasuke and Itachi, were now dead. The older brother had kill them all, in a fit of madness due to his excessively good combat abilities, which made him feel superior or something like that. It had happened when they were seven years old, but he remembered people talking about it. Apparently it had been a ruthless massacre.

But when he started going over reports regarding the clan, previous to Itachi's crime, he found something strange. Many vere titulled as “Uchiha's Rising”. That was a strange word, considering the facts that had happened before. They had definitely not rose at all. But he understood the real semantic after reading the informs. Several shinobis described incidents with Uchiha members. For what he could see, the clan had been acting with insurgency for a considerable time before they were all kill. He realized it was the other aception for Rising: rebellion.

So the clan was out of control, trying to bring down the authority of the Hokage. He found differents proposal to fix the problem, involving many strategies of negotiation. But he couldn't tell if any of them had been carried out.

Suddenly, a particular report called his attention, because it had many Hyuga names between the shinobis that had participated, along with Itachi's. Commanding the clan intervention, was Hajime Hyuga. The Nara thought that to have that significant assignment and so many ninjas at his charge, it should be an important member of the clan. He revised his personal record, and discovered that it was Hiashi and Hizashi father, Neji's grandfather. He had been the head of the Hyuga clan before his son.

The report didn't say much, and it had large blancks, that seemed to had been erased. The only thing he could made out of it was that a big number of Hyugas had assisted Itachi with their Bakugan at some very mysterious mission. Why did the amazingly skilled shinobi had needed so many support for a job?

His heart gave a jump when he noticed the report's date: it was just one day before the Uchiha massacre.

Shikamaru put the report down, and shook his head, thinking that maybe reading so much was confusing his ideas. But very quickly, everything started to take form in his mind.

The Uchihas were trying to take the power of the village. Their existence was dangerous for Konoha's stability. One day, the best member of the clan, accompanied for a bunch of Hyugas, performed a mission. At the next morning, all the Uchihas were dead. What if the Council and the Hokage had ask Itachi to kill his clan, making it look like it had been a personal act of treason, and if the Hyugas had helped him by telling him the exact position of every man, woman and child? That would have mean that all of those deaths had been premeditated.

A chill ran down his spine. That would explained why the Hyugas had so much freedom of acting the way they wanted. Because they knew a very dark secret about Konoha’s rulers.

Holy fucking shit. He was aware that his village had been founded with many atrocities, but this had happened just ten years ago. The Sandaime Hokage was alive at that time. Had he agreed with all that?

He needed some air. For the first time in the last eleven days, he leaved the Archive before night. All that information was starting to hurt his brain. Now, he knew something almost no one did. Well, he didn't have exact confirmation, but the relation was too obvious. The blank segments of the report he found couldn't mean anything else.

He walked to a bench in the park that surrounded the Hokage mansion, and sat to think. What should he do? Tell the Hokage? He didn't know if the Council had de power to relieve her of her functions. What if he got her in trouble? But if he didn't, what could he possibly do by himself? The data he had just acquired was more than relevant and valuable. Maybe he should keep it to himself, until he founded a way of using it to his advantage.

Nevertheless, at knowing that Hyugas had total impunity, he understood that they wouldn't find obstacles to any of their villanies. Not to the use of sacrifice seals, nor for the redistribution of lands. And this last issue affected all the damn Land of Fire.

Hiashi's face appeared in his mind. He was following the problem, so he could find this information very useful. Shikamaru knew that the best way of solving things was using various good brains, that could concentrate in differents angles of the trouble. Besides, maybe giving Hiashi that data, he would start to trust him a little. He had realized the man didn't like him much, judging for the way he had ignored his bow the time he witnessed his conversation with Neji. He didn't know the reason of that, but they were both interested in helping the Hyuga boy. With an objective in common, maybe he could persuade him of his reliability.

When he got decided, he stood up and went directly to the Hokage Mansion. If Hiashi wasn't gone again, he would find him there. The man was in charge of Konoha's entrance's vigilance, and he had to write reports of the in and out activity that were after sent to the Hokage. By that hour, he should be in his office, compiling the informs of the different vigilantes.

Shikamaru reached the indicated room, which door was open, and stopped before entering. Hiashi was sitting behind his desk, looking at some papers. He considered talking to announce himself, but then decided to knook on the doorframe. But while he rose his hand to do so, the Hyuga's voice stopped him.

-What? -he asked, not lifting his stare.

The Nara kicked himself mentally. He should know that the man would notice his presence. He could sense chakra, after all. He cleared his throat, and tried to use his most respectful tone:

-Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if I could have a minute of your time.

Hiashi continued without looking at him.

-For what? -he asked.

Shikamaru felt his palms starting to sweat, but kept his calm.

-I got some information that I think you should know. -he said.

The man took his time to answer, as if he wasn't interested at all.

-What could a chunin tell me that I do not already know? -he questioned.

The Nara boy didn't let that comment discourage him. He was already there, and he was going to go forward. He made a step inside the room.

-It's regarding the relation of your clan with illegal distribution of land, because I know you are following the issue.

Finally, the man rose his stare, frowning. Apparently, he didn't like that Shikamaru had brought that up, or that he had entered in his office without permission.

-What could you know about that? -he inquired.

The young ninja took a look over his shoulder to make sure no one was near, before making another step forward.

-I know it's related to another case I'm investigating, that is also very parlous.

Hisashi narrowed his big lilac eyes on his.

-What case?

Shikamaru lowered his head a little, but didn't break the stare.

-We had confirmed there are some manufacturers creating Gasei Seals. They are sacrifice seals to extract chakra from people by killing them and...

-I know what they are. Go to the point. -the man cut him.

He would've swallowed nervously, but he didn't wanted to give the image that he had a weak character. He kept his expression calmed but serious.

-Some membres of your clan seem to be involved. -he simply explained.

-That is a risky supposition. -Hiashi answered.

-It's not a supposition. -was the Nara's secure response.

The old Hyuga widened his eyes a little, obviously surprised. But quickly frowned again, and fulminated the boy with his eyes.

-How can you affirm something like that? -he asked. -Have you any proof?

Shikamaru slowly shook his head.

-I don't have one that I can show you. But I can assure I found one. And it was pretty graphic.

The man tried to hide his curiosity, but the Nara could see it emerging behind his stoic temper.

-Explain yourself. -he ordered.

Inconsistently, the boy took his hands to his pockets. After a short pause, he asked:

-You are aware of the death of Hiro Hyuga, I imagine, right?

Hiashi didn't expected that. He leaned back a little in his chair, now playing attention completely.

-Of course.

-You know that he was killed by the man you are investigating, Hisao Hyuga, with the Cursed Seal?

The man looked at him with great distrust.

-I do. -he replied.

Shikamaru nodded just once.

-I can assure that he also used a Gasei Seal in Hiro to stole his chakra, while he was killing him.

-You saw him doing it? -the older ninja questioned.

-No. -was the Nara's honest answer.

-None of your teammates had reported it, so I doubt anyone had. -Hiashi added.

-They didn't. -the boy affirmed.

-Then how can you tell? -the man was cleary getting annoyed.

Shikamaru didn't hesitated.

-I found the Gasei Seal mark on his chest. -he explained calmly.

The Hyuga stood still for a moment, processing his words. Then, he frowned deeply again.

-So you have known this since that day? -he wanted to know.

Shit, he was hoping the man wasn't going to questioned him about that. He considered lying, but decided that the best was to be honest, to look genuinely sincere.

-No. -he said, and let a few seconds pass before continuing. -I discovered it latter.

-How? -Hiashi questioned gravely.

Shikamaru tightened his lips, but finally relaxed and replied:

-I went to look for his body. -he confessed. -And I found it. The mark was there. -At this, he man gave him a look that showed he didn’t expected an act like that from him at all. But the boy didn’t stop. -That's why I don't have any proof. But I was hoping you could believe in my word.

He felt his plan going to hell when Hiashi's reaction to his last comment made the Hyuga twisted his mouth with contempt.

-Believe you? -he started. -You are Nara Shikaku's son, aren't you?

That was unexpected.

-Umm, yes. -he mumbled, surprised.

-Naras are always tricky, but your father is the most distrustful of them all. I know that for self experience. -the man wasn't trying to hide his hate. -Why should I trust his son?

Great. “Thanks dad”, the boy thought. “You're not even here and you are screwing my plans anyway”. He needed a good answer to make Hiashi reconsider. So he steeled himself, and responded:

-I understand that you have issues with my father. Many people do. Even myself. But I'm not him, I can assure that. And is not very fair that you judge me basing on his acts. With all respect, sir, will you like to be judged after your father?

At first, the older ninja frowned with anger. Maybe he had gone too far. But seconds after, he seemed to consider his retort, and relaxed a little. He leaned in his chair again, and thought for a few more moments. Then, he studied Shikamaru for a second, and asked him:

-Why are you minding about this so much?

The Nara stared at him briefly.

-It's my investigation. So, it's my job. -he answered.

But the man didn't buy it.

-I knew Naras weren't much devoted to their jobs. -he commented. -Nor to anything.

Okay, so he wasn't going to believe that. After a quick reflection, he solved to keep being sincere.

-Honestly, sir, I don't like knowing that Main House members are using Branch House members like this. And it makes me worry for your nephew's fate.

Hiashi kept silent for a few moments. Shikamaru could see that the mention of Neji had made him lower his guard. He was worried about him too.

-All of this is because you are trying to help Neji? -he asked suspiciously.

-Well, yes, in part. -the boy replied. -And also because, as I said, it's my job.

The man studied his expression again, probably trying to find something that told him he was lying. But finally, he relaxed again.

-I will have this present. -he said. -You can leave now.

Shikamaru made a respectful bow, that, once more, the Hyuga didn't returned, and then he started walking away. But before leaving the room, he turned and added:

-There's one more thing, sir: I believe the Council is covering this. So, you could found many obstacles at  investigating it. They are powerful people, so, we better be discrete.

-Why do you think they know about this and allow it? -Hiashi questioned him.

Inside his mind, the Nara boy hesitated. He wasn't sure of telling him what he had discovered about the Uchiha clan. Such an important information like that shouldn't be shared without caution. So he decided to keep it for himself, at least for now.

-It's just a feeling, sir. -he finally said.

Hiashi didn't look convinced, but nodded. After one last look, Shikamaru turned again and leaved the office.

  
  


**New chapter!! Dedicated to those who are especially interested in the Hyuga clan corruption plot.**

**Until next chapter! : )  
**

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Neji’s POV**

 

He had been in the border for six months already, and was getting used to the idea that this would be his life now. Daily patrols, night watches, traffic reports, and eventual interrogations to people they found around the territory. Neji traveled between the different posts, changing teams and captains regularly, always using his Bakugan to check the perimeter.

He didn't talk much with his teammates. After what had happened with Shikamaru, he had decided not to get close to anyone new. After all, his life expectancy was pretty uncertain, so establishing bonds with other people would only made them suffer eventually. He was determined to escape from death for as long as he could, but he had to be realistic: one word of the Main House and he would have to return to Konoha, and there was nothing that could assured him survivance if that happened.

During his time in the frontier, he focused completely in his work. It was the only thing that momentarily distracted him from the sad face of that young Nara that kept assaulting his dreams. All the time he wondered when would they see each other again, and what would happened when they did. He wanted to thank the boy for his help, but he had no idea of when the opportunity of doing it would come.

That was before his fifth trip to the central post. At night, when the activities were finished, he and his team sat in the camp for dinner. The frontier captain came down from his tower, only to greet them, Neji thought. But he had an important and unexpected question for them.

-Welcome to the central base once more, troop. -Gushiken said with his usual calmed and solemn air. -It's good to see you are all okay and healthy. Now, it's time for the reglementary break. Who's going back to the village this time?

The Hyuga thought he was missing something. Return to the village? Wasn't their job in the frontier permanent? His teammates started talking, commenting if they wanted to stay or come back. Neji was absolutely confused.

-Excuseme, captain. -he asked respectfully. -What do you mean by going back to the village?

The blond man looked at him and nodded.

-Right, Hyuga. You are new here and don't know the protocol. -he answered. -Every seven months, the shinobis are given the chance to return to Konoha for two weeks. It's to prevent the monotony of the border from affecting your sanity. Isolation can be very harmful to the minds of ninjas. But it's optional. You can choose to go and return in two weeks or less, or you can also decided to stay. But you won't have the chance to go back again for another seven month.

Return to Konoha for two weeks? He had no idea that they had that possibility. Suddenly what he had been wondering about could have a solution. If he took the permission, he would be able to see Shikamaru. But what if leaving made him look weak in front of the other ninjas? They could think that the border was affecting him, and he didn't want that.

The rest of the shinobis had already took their decisions, but he still hesitated. He captain announced that they had until next morning to decide, because depending on the number of people that wanted to take the break, he would need to ask for temporary replacements with anticipation.

That night, Neji weighed his desire to return compared to how much he cared about what the others may think of him. And finally, he decided that he didn't mind so much. He was doing a good work, after all, and that was what mattered.

The next day, he communicated Gushiken his decision, who told him that he and the other two shinobis that had resolved to returned would travel to Konoha in three days. Neji went to his tent, and wrote a quick letter to Tenten, telling her that soon he would come back home for a few weeks. He could have just surprised her, but the girl missed him very much and wrote to him almost every day, so he thought that the news would make her happy. He also decided to write to his uncle too to let him know.

  


**Shikamaru’s POV**

 

The month that the Hokage had granted him to inspect the archive had passed very quickly, but he had made sure to review all the documents that were of interest to him. He couldn't find anything else about the relationship between the Hyuga clan, Itachi and the death of the Uchiha, so for the time being he could not prove his theory. On the cult of the monks, he found very clear background: in the past, many members of the village had belonged to that religion, but had abandoned it after several missions reported that they had begun demanding large donations of money to remain associated. Apparently, the cult had great economic ambitions, and had lost many followers because of it. This gave more weight to his assumption that they were trying to open the Kin Temple, but it wasn't much. He reported this to the Hokage, and wasn't surprised when she told him that the Hyugas assigned to the mission hadn't make any advance yet. Tsunade was starting to suspect something strange about them too.

He used most of the remaining time to look for information regarding the Cursed Seal. He wanted to find documents about the creation of the technique, but apparently there were no records of that time. When the Hyugas joined the village, they already had it, and the first Hokage had simply allowed them to keep it because it was a powerful family with a great Jutsu, whose adhesion gave Konoha great prestige.

But he needed to know more about it. Which persons inside the clan could perform that spell? How did they do it? And most important, could it be erased? He wasn't very literate in seals matters, so he decided to learn. He went to the library and read all he could find about the different types of seals that there existed, and turned out that there were many. The ways of creating them and of taking them off were varied depending on the nature of the spell. But he had no information that could tell him at what kind the Cursed Seal belonged. He memorized all the classifications, expecting that someday he could discovered something else. But that data was probably very well hidden in the Hyuga domains.

However, his research was not in vain. He found something that gave him a hint of hope: every seal could be erased, without exception. Some required large amounts of chakra, or sacrifices, or the utterance of very specific words. But that didn’t matter. What he had learned meant there was definitely a way to eliminate the Cursed Seal. He just had to find out how.

He also discovered that there existed seals that could hinder the functioning of other spells. They didn't serve to eliminate them, but they made their use more difficult, which was more than nothing.

He spent many nights locked in his cabin inside the Nara forest, performing experiments. He created simple seals on different objects, and then tried to erase them. He knew it would be different to perform them on people, but he couldn't do that. It was just sadistic, and very dangerous. Especially since he discovered that, whether creating a seal or removing it, if he made a mistake in a single line, word or finger position, the ink burned. It was necessary a great precision, and his novice errors worthed him several burns on his hands and arms. But at least he was acquiring experience that could serve him in the future.

Every conclusion he reached, he wrote it down, to have a clearer perspective of all that new data. But he didn't want anyone to find out what he was doing. If someone saw that he was experimenting with seals, he could be suspected of something bad. Besides, he didn't like people snooping in his private things, and it had always been like that. For that kind of information he used a different writing. One he had designed himself. Initially he had invented it to be able to communicate with his team in a secret language.  He had just took an old code he had invented when he was a child, and improve it. It consisted in a series of drawings and signs that represented ideas, that could be united with certain marks of space and time to acquire the wanted sense. Choji, Ino and his sensei knew some of them, but it was way larger than they thought. He was pretty proud of how well it worked, and he simply called it The Code. He had always like codes in general. Decoding them in his mind gave him a pleasant feeling in his brain. That was why he was so good with numbers and foreign languages, because they were basically codes that became transparent once he learned them.

One afternoon, he was walking to the hospital to have his fingers healed, thinking of some good excuse for his burns, when Tenten's happy face appeared in front of him.

-Hey, there, lazy boy. -she told him with a big smile.

-Hi. -he answered, rising his eyebrows at the girl's excellent humor. -Why are you so happy?

She giggled cheerfully before responding.

-Well, I just may have received very good news by mail today. -she looked at him with anticipation. -Would you like to know?

Shikamaru put his hands on his pockets, preventing that the kunoichi wouldn't see his wounds.

-I don't know. -he said. -Is it something that could interest me, or just a futile gossip?

-Oh, I think this will be of great interest to you. -Tenten replied. -I got a letter from Neji.

All right, he definitely was interested in that.

-Did you? -he asked, pretending he wasn't eager to know.

-Mhm. -the girl continued. -Turns out frontier ninjas have a permission to returned to Konoha for a few weeks. He's coming  back in two days.

His heart gave a big jump. Neji was coming to the village? He didn't expected that at all. He had wondered about when would he be able to see the Hyuga again, and didn't think it would be so soon. He tried to hide his sudden nervous.

-Really? -he said with his usual bored tone. -Good for him.

Tenten let out a big and amused laugh.

-It's so sweet to see you trying to act normal about it. -she told him. -Come on! Are you not excited?

Excited wasn't exactly the word he would used. Actually, he was a little afraid. Neji knew he was the person who had recommended him for the border. What would the boy tell him? Would he be angry because he hadn't told him anything about it? At the same time, it rose another preoccupation on him: if Neji returned to Konoha, he would be in his family’s reach. The main reason why he had sent him to the border was to keep him away from the Hyuga clan. Having him back in the village was dangerous, and he needed to do something to make sure he would be safe there. He had to be prepared.

Acting unconcerned, he found a way to end his conversation with Tenten, and continued his walk to the hospital. He needed to cure his hands quickly, so he could returned to the cabin and get everything ready to Neji's arrival.

  
  


The next two days passed slowly. He was walking to Ino's store, trying to distract himself from the constant uncertainty of at what moment the boy would arrive. He had almost reach his destination, when a hard voice came from behind his back.

-Boy. -it said.

Not knowing if the call was for him, he turned his head to find out. And he saw the serious face of Hiashi looking at him. He inclined his head a little, but once more, the man didn't returned the gesture.

-Yes, Hiashi-sama? -Shikamaru asked.

The Hyuga took a look around them, and then started walking slowly.

-Walk with me. -he told the boy.

Hiding his surprise, the Nara placed himself next to the man. He waited patiently, until the older shinobi finally spoke:

-Neji is returning to Konoha today. -he said, with his eyes fixed ahead. -I suppose you already know it.

-I do, sir. -Shikamaru answered honestly.

-He will be staying only for two weeks, but that is enough time for the Main House to try something. -Hiashi explained. -Many Branch House members have been disappearing lately in dubious situations. Konoha is not a safe place for him right now.

The Nara kept silence, asking himself why the man was telling him about this. Hiashi still seemed to doubt him, but if he was sharing his preoccupations with him, maybe he considered that he could help.

-Yes, sir. -he answered carefully. -I have thought about that too.

-I bet you have. -the man replied with a hard tone. -And I have something to ask you: I don't want Neji to stay in the Hyuga domains. There he is an easy target.

Shikamaru started understanding where the thing was going.

-You want him to stay in the Nara forest, don't you? -he questioned.

Hiashi nodded slowly.

-It is the safest site in Konoha, the only place where the Bakugan can't find him. -after saying this, he stopped, and Shikamaru stopped as well. The man gave him a very intense look. -If it was possible, I would appreciate it.

Judging by his face, he had a very weird way of being grateful. But it didn't matter. The head of the Hyuga clan was asking him for help, and it could only meant that he trusted him, at least a little.

-Of course, sir. -the boy assured. -He can stay all the time he want.

The man had a great control of his emotions, but Shikamaru thought  he saw a hint of relief in his eyes.

-Good. -was his final word, and then he walked away from him, not even saying goodbye.

Shikamaru stayed in the middle of the street for a minute, just watching him leave.

  


He stayed with his team the entire rest of the day. They chatted and laze around, and he tried to look as relaxed as always. When night came, they started walking to Ichiraku's store to have dinner together. But in the way, they run into Naruto and Sakura. The two friends were having a loud discussion in the middle of the street: apparently the boy had used his Sexy Jutsu to transform into a girl and ask for free food, and Sakura didn't found it nice. Their arrival stopped the fight, and the five of them talked friendly for a while.

The two members of team ten had just agreed to go with them to Ichiraku's, when Ino's eyes widened and she opened her mouth with surprise.

-Kami, look! -she screamed. -Is that Neji?!

It certainly was. The boy was walking almost in their direction, talking with Tenten and Lee who were at his both sides. They looked very enthusiastic of having his friend back, all though he seemed a little overwhelmed already.

-Yes!! -Naruto shouted too. -Hey, Neji!! Guys!! Over here!!

The three ninjas saw them, and turned towards them.  Shikamaru caught a glance of Tenten giving Neji a smiley stare, and of the boy ignoring it. The Hyuga met his eyes at the distance.

He swallowed. The time had finally arrived. They were about to see at each other for the first time in seven months. He watched the Hyuga getting closer, with his long chocolate hair being moved by the soft wind and his pale face glowing slightly in the moonlight.

-Hello everyone.-Neji greeted at reaching them, smiling softly.

-It's so great to see you! -Sakura exclaimed.

-We were missing you already! -Ino added.

-Yes, man! -that was Naruto. -But how did you got back from the border? I thought you were staying there!

-I am. -the Hyuga answered, still smiling to them. -I have got a break of two weeks. After that I will return to my post.

-Like vacations! -Choji said. -That's great!

Everybody was being very nice and welcoming, but Shikamaru didn't utter a word. What was he going to say? “Hi”'? Everything sounded stupid. He just stood there with his hands in his pockets and a neutral expression, listening at his friends ask Neji about the frontier.

-We were going to Ichiraku's to grab a bite. -Tenten told them a few minutes ago.

-We were too! -Ino said. -Let's go all together!

They started walking to the store, making Neji a million questions. Still, Shikamaru didn't opened his mouth.

They sat in Ichiraku's one next to the other. The Nara placed himself in one extreme, as far a possible from the Hyuga. The others chatted friendly while they ate. The newcomer boy told them everything about his job in the border.

-Are you happy then? -Sakura questioned him.

-I am. -Neji answered. -It is a nice and quiet job.

-You have this guy to thank for that, ha? -Ino said, pinchin Shikamaru in the ribs with her elbow.

The Hyuga looked at him from his place.

-I do. -he simply said.

The Nara held his stare for a moment, but quickly lowered his eyes to his plate.

When they finished eating, they said goodbye and parted ways. He started walking slowly with his team. His friends stopped in their houses, and he continued to the Nara forest. He was definitely going to the cabin, when he had been spending most of the nights lately. Would Neji pass by? He wasn't sure if he wanted or not.

About twenty minutes later, he arrived to the small construction. He entered, took the lighter from the floor and lit the candle lamp. Then he  threw it again and turned around, but froze at seeing Neji standing in what seconds ago was complete darkness.

He felt his heart stop beating. The older boy was staring at him with an unreadable expression, and he knew he must look totally startled. They stood in silence for a long minute, just connected by their eyes. Until the Hyuga finally spoke:

-Hi, Nara.

Shikamaru tried to control his breathing and stay calm.

-Hi. -was the only word he could pronounced.

Neji studied his face for while, before going straight to the point:

-You recommended me to the border. -he said, without changing his expression.

Shikamaru wanted to swallow again, but stopped himself. There was no place to hide. He took a deep breath, and answered:

-I did.

Another long silence. The Hyuga faintly inclined his head to a side, but didn't broke their stare.

-Why? -he asked softly.

Damn, didn't he knew already? Why was he making him say it? He lowered his head and look at the floor.

-I wanted you... -he started. -to be safe. And a little more free.

The absence of a replied that came next made a chill run through his spine. He didn't dare to check what Neji's face reflected at that moment. But suddenly, he heard delicated steps coming towards him, and rose his head.

The Hyuga walked slowly to him, with his eyes so full of emotion that Shikamaru opened his mouth in surprise. He never imagined what came next: Neji reached him, put both of his hands on the Nara's face, and kissed him tenderly.

An avalanche of feelings exploded in Shikamaru's chest. The wonderful sensation of Neji's lips over his made him feel the weight of the last seven month of longing. His whole body screamed in pain and in joy at the same time. He had not idea of what the Hyuga was thinking, but if that was his way of saying thank you, he definitely accepted it.

He breathed the sweet scent of that thick hair and traveled back to the previous occasions when they had kiss. Overwhelmed with emotions, he put his hands on Neji's hips and drove him closer. The older boy not only didn't resist it, but he threw his arms around Shikamaru's neck and pressed tighter to his body. The momentum took them forward, and their tongues met with unleashed passion. The wet muscles danced, thirsty of each other, and both boys panted hard into the kiss.

The Nara felt his body turning into fire. That fire only Neji had been able to lit. He felt his fingers slightly skimming the cold skin of the Hyuga's skin under his white robb, and the electricity of the touch made them broke the kiss.

Fierce black eyes met pink wild ones. The older ninja's blushed face glowing in the candle light made his heart shiver. Neji wasn’t angry with him. Maybe he had been also waiting for that moment during the last months. Shikamaru couldn’t stop the relief that appeared in his face, and the Hyuga didn’t miss it.

-What? -he asked against his mouth.

The Nara let those big tempestuous eyes hypnotize him. He shook his head slowly, not already sure of not being dreaming.

-I thought you'd be mad at me. -he answered in a whisper.

-Why would I? -Neji questioned, caresing softly the back of his head with his fingers.

-I don't know... -the younger boy said. -I know you don't like to be helped much.

The Hyuga gave him a tender smile that touch his heart.

-How could I be mad with someone who is so desperately trying to protect me? -he replied.

That was indeed comforting. Neji didn't hate him at all. Actually, he understood why he had acted in that way. Shikamaru closed his eyes, feeling the worries he had carried for months drop to the ground and disappeared. He let out a repressed breath.

Cold fingers caressed his cheek. He opened his lids again, and found Neji's smiling face. He had never expected to see the boy looking at him like that, and it made him feel like the luckiest person in the universe.

The Hyuga must saw the swirl of emotions that had been unleashed inside him, because he slid his fingers under Shikamaru's eyes, over the dark circles that were always there. Then, he rose himself on the tip of his feet, and leaned to kiss them. First the right one, then the left one, and finally, he stopped over his mouth. The Hyuga rubbed their noses together with endearment, and softly press the younger boy's lips against his.

Fireworks exploded inside his chest. Being touched like this by Neji made his whole body react, and he surrounded the boy's waist with his arms, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Their mouths opened and longing tongues met again.

As it had happened before, the heat between them begun to increase. The growing need of melting and becoming one was irrepressible. Hands explored and clothes flew away. When their naked bodys touched, the air vibrated.

Shikamaru's mouth traveled from Neji's mouth to his cheek and then to his neck, leaving a trace of lava behind. The Hyuga moaned loudly when naughty hands caressed his butcheeks. The sound drove the younger ninja back to his mouth, where he sunked his tongue with no mercy. Teeth collided in a messy peck, and their hard erections crashed together.

Completely possessed by arousal, Shikamaru grabbed the smaller body from the hip bones, and rolled his, to make their lengths rub deliciously. The warm sticky liquid that was coming out of them burned against their stomachs. Neji groaned inside his mouth, and the Nara breathe it as if it was the substance of life.

Incapable of stop himself, and not wanting to either, he walked forward, making the Hyuga move back. He didn't intended to take him anywhere, he was just succumbing to the desire of merge with him. They reached the wall opposite the door, and he pressed Neji's body against the wood.

The rolling of their hips got faster while their tongues kept tasting each other's breath. Shikamaru put a hand behind one of the Hyuga's thighs and brought his leg up to hook it over his hip. That allowed their erections to alined at the same high, and the sensation was simply marvelous. After a hard push, Neji's foot that was still on the ground slipped, and they both fell to the ground.

Shikamaru hurted his knees at hitting the floor, but he didn't care. The older ninja was now sitting in his lap with his back against the wall, and the faint light of the candle illuminated his blushed cheeks. His pink eyes glowed like the afternoon sun, and the Nara felt absorbed by them.

He leaned forward, and squeezed Neji against the wood. Like he had done in Fukanzen, Shikamaru took one of the older ninja's hands in his, and put both of them over their erections. Slowly, he started thrusting them up and down, making the Hyuga gasp, and panting himself. With his free hand, Neji grabbed the Nara's nape and nailed his fingers into it. Shikamaru returned the gesture, but on his hip. They touched like this for intense minutes, until finally they came with deep moans. Their bodys shivered, and slowly relaxed.

Shikamaru let his forehead rest in Neji's shoulder, while he free his hand from their soaked members. The only sound in the silent night were their agitated breaths. A long moment passed, so long that he almost fall asleep. He went back to reality when Neji's fingers caressed his back. Rising his head again, he met the boy's eyes. With his cheeks still red as fire, the Hyuga looked at him, and smiled.

He had no words for what he felt, nor for what he was seeing. Neji was so amazingly beautiful, with his disheveled dark hair falling down his delicate shoulders. He would have want to freeze time, and live in that moment for the rest of his days.

The Hyuga just watched him get lost on his factions.

-I should go home. -he said in a murmur.

Shikamaru shook his head, still stuck to the pink pupils.

-Stay. -he asked.

Neji smiled again, and leaned to kiss him. Then, they slowly stood up, cleaned themselves and layed in the improvised mattress of blankets. Like the last night they had spent together, their fall asleep in each other's arms.

The two weeks passed quickly. During the day, Neji spent time with his team and his family. But at nights, he always returned to the Nara forest, were Shikamaru was patiently waiting for him. Every time, their bodys spoke the exciting language of passion, trying to take advantage of each second . They kissed and touched and taste until they ran out of energy, only to continue at the next morning.

When the last night arrived it found them naked and tangled in the cabin floor.

-So, are you coming back in seven month? -Shikamaru asked while sliding his fingers through the Hyuga's hair.

-After this two weeks, I definitely will. -the boy answered, and they both laughed softly. But then, something in Neji's eyes changed. -You know this doesn't mean we are going out or something, right?

Shikamaru rose an eyebrow, without stop smiling.

-How could we be going out or something, -he asked. -if you'll spend most of the year at the border?

At this, the older ninja lowered his eyes.

-Hey. -Shikamaru said, putting a hand under his chin to make him look up again. -Stop worrying about what this is. You'll ruin it.

Neji finally smiled again, and buried his face in the Nara's neck. He quickly fell asleep, but Shikamaru didn't. He knew this was his last chance to do what he had planed two weeks ago.

With extreme delicacy, he free his arm from under the Hyuga's head, and sat in the blankets to get his backpack. After slowly opening the zipper, he took a little piece of parchment where he had already wrote a complicated inscription. Then, he carefully slid the black ribbon that covered Neji's forehead back. The Cursed Seal appeared, and he felt his heart shrinking. Without hesitating, he placed the parchment over the pale skin, and whispered a precise spell. The paper glowed in the dark, and then disappeared. He gently put the ribbon back in its place, and lay down again. According to what he had learned in the last months, that simple trick would keep the Hyuga safe from his damn. Whit it, if a Main House member wanted to use the Cursed Seal on him, he would have to touch Neji. It was an obligatory contact technique: the spell wouldn't work at any distance. That way, the next time Neji returned to Konoha, he would be a little safer.

Shikamaru let out a deep breath of relief, thinking that that was all he could do. For now.

  


**Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay again.**

**This is the last chapter of this story. But don't worry!! It will continue in another fic. I have planned many consecutive stories. Next one will be centered on Shikamaru.**

**I've been writing another fic too, also about this couple, of course. I already have a couple of chapters, so I'll be uploading it soon so you can check it.**

**Thank you for accompany me to this point!! You are the best readers I could ask for.**


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